LIBRARY 

or  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA. 

£2.  / 

'Received  M^Ct^          >  ifyfr 


^Ct^ 

J/  BIOLOGY 

Accession  No.  7  /  frtf  3      •   Claxs  No. 


I 


WOOD  NOTES  WILD 


NOTATIONS   OF   BIRD    MUSIC 


BY 


SIMEON   PEASE  CHENE 

AUTHOR  OF  THE  "AMERICAN  SINGING-BOOK" 


MAY 


COLLECTED  AND  ARRANGED   WITH  APPENDIX,  NOTES, 
BIBLIOGRAPHY,  AND  GENERAL  INDEX 


BY  JOHN  VANCE  CHENEY 

AUTHOR  OF  THE  "GOLDEN  GUESS"  (ESSAYS  ON  POETRY),  "THISTLE- 
DRIFT"  (POEMS),  "WOOD  BLOOMS"  (POEMS),  ETC 


BOSTON 
LEE    AND    SHEPARD    PUBLISHERS 

10  MILK  ST.  NEXT  "THE  OLD  SOUTH  MEETING  HOUSB" 
1892 


Copyright,  1891, 
BY  LEE  AND  SHEPARD. 


All  rights  reserved. 


WOOD  NOTES  WILD. 


7  /  r  a  3 


©toitoctsitg 
JOHN  WILSON  AND  SON,  CAMBRIDGI 


BIOLOGY 
UBRAHV 


Now  blessings  on  ye  all,  ye  heroic  race, 

Who  keep  their  primitive  powers  and  rights  so 

Though  men  and  angels  fell. 

Of  all  material  lives  the  highest  place 

To  you  is  justly  given, 

And  ways  and  walks  the  nearest  heaven. 

COWLBY. 


Whose  household  words  are  songs  in  many  keys, 
Sweeter  than  instrument  of  man  e'er  caught ; 
Whose  habitations  in  the  tree-tops  even 
Are  half-way  houses  on  the  road  to  heaven. 

LONGFELLOW. 


I  have  often  reflected  with  surprise  on  the  diversity  of  the  means 
for  producing  music  with  insects,  and  still  more  with  birds.  We  thus 
get  a  high  idea  of  the  importance  of  song  in  the  animal  kingdom. 

DARWIN. 


Many  kyndes  of  voyces  are  in  the  world,  ande  none  off  them  with- 
out significacion.  —  Tyndall's  trans,  of  2  COR.  xiv.  10. 


EDITOK'S    PEEFACE. 


THIS  collection  of  New  England  bird-songs  was  begun 
when  the  author  was  in  his  sixty-seventh  year,  and 
left  unfinished  when,  the  tenth  of  May,  1890,  he  passed 
suddenly  away,  being  two  years  beyond  his  threescore 
and  ten.  It  is  a  record  of  the  pastime  of  an  old  lover  of 
the  birds,  of  a  musician  who  counted  it  among  his  chief 
joys  that  he  had  lived  thirty  summers  in  a  bird-haunted 
grove,  —  of  one  to  whom  the  voices  of  the  wood  and  field 
were  as  familiar  as  those  of  his  own  family.  The  inten- 
tion was  to  write  a  book  for  the  young  people  of  New 
England,  many  of  whom  he  had  taught  the  rudiments  of 
vocal  music.  The  volume  was  to  be  made  up  of  bird- 
songs  and  observations  on  the  domestic  animals,  with 
special  reference  to  their  several  forms  of  utterance.  Some- 
thing was  also  to  be  said  of  the  music  of  inanimate  things. 
The  thought  came  too  late ;  and  it  remains  for  the  present 
writer  —  not  unacquainted  with  his  father's  work  and 
wishes  —  to  gather  together  such  fragments  as  were  to 
be  found. 

Brief,  imperfect  as  the  record  is,  it  may  yet  have  value 
if,  written  without  apprenticeship  in  the  endeavors  of  exact 
knowledge,  it  accord  here  and  there  with  the  conclusions 


Vi  EDITOR'S  PREFACE. 

of  science.  Strange  as  it  may  seem  in  one  that  loved 
Nature  so  well,  the  author  read  but  four  authorities  on 
the  birds,  —  Audubon,  Wilson,  the  first  part  of  Stearns's 
"New  England  Bird  Life,"  edited  by  Dr.  Coues,  and 
Minot's  "  Land  and  Game  Birds  of  New  England ; "  and 
none  of  these  were  taken  up  until  more  than  half  the  work 
here  presented  was  done.  The  position  is  individual,  iso- 
lated ;  hence  it  has  been  thought  advisable  to  prepare  an 
appendix  of  expression  from  those  more  or  wholly  at 
home  in  the  delightful  field  through  which  our  author 
strolled,  when  the  mood  was  on,  innocently  absorbed, 
oblivious  to  the  brilliant  company  before  him  and  on 
either  side. 

Pliny  tells  how,  by  mixing  the  blood  of  certain  birds,  a 
serpent  was  produced,  which  eaten  of,  enabled  one  to  un- 
derstand what  the  birds  said  ;  and  it  is  possible  that  this 
old  simple-hearted,  rustic  singing-master  nibbled  deeply 
enough  into  the  inspiring  serpent  to  interest  not  only 
the  lover  of  natural  things  but  those  with  whom  it  was 
not  his  lot  to  mingle,  —  his  learned  contemporaries.  At 
any  rate,  he  has  spoken  in  his  own  native  way,  and  his 
brief  message  may  be  audible,  if  for  no  other  reason,  be- 
cause of  the  "  over-faint  quietness  "  both  here  and  abroad. 
While  wanting  certain  accessory  qualifications  for  his 
pleasure-task,  our  author  had  this  prime  requisite,  — 
music  was  as  natural  to  him,  had  as  much  meaning  for 
him,  as  words.  Sound  was  as  much  to  him  as  sight. 
It  was  his  habit  to  name  the  pitch,  and  to  dwell  on 
the  quality,  of  any  sound  he  might  hear  from  things 
animate  or  inanimate.  His  test  of  a  poem  was  the 


EDITOR'S  PREFACE.  vii 

character  of  the  tones  it  set  ringing  in  his  mind.  Music 
was  the  standard.  In  addition  to  this,  and  hardly  less 
important,  his  heart  and  brain  were  full  of  youth  and 
enthusiasm;  he  stood  to  the  last  before  both  man  and 
Nature,  decided  in  his  likes  and  dislikes,  hearty  in  his 
love  and  hatred,  eager  and  joyous  —  and  wayward  —  as  a 
boy.  "  My  threescore  and  ten  are  numbered,"  he  writes 
on  his  birthday,  "  but  for  the  life  of  me  I  can't  feel  old, 
can't  think  old."  Such,  in  a  word,  was  the  reporter  of 
the  "  Wood  Notes  Wild ; "  and  the  only  justification  of  his 
work  that  he  cared  to  make  was  characteristically  simple, 
—  "A  little  bird  told  me  so." 

As  before  stated,  it  has  been  sought,  by  means  of  an 
appendix,  to  supplement  the  record  of  the  birds  the  songs 
of  which  are  presented,  and  to  point  to  such  information 
on  the  general  subject  of  bird  music  as  might  prove  acces- 
sible, —  the  matter  being  drawn  from  both  scientific  and 
popular  sources.  Few  supplementary  notations  of  bird 
songs  appear,  for  the  reason  that  they  are  not  easy  to 
find.  Indeed,  two  hundred  letters  sent  to  ornithologists 
and  librarians  of  this  country  and  of  Europe,  in  addition 
to  no  little  personal  research,  indicate  that  there  are  not 
many  such  notations  in  existence.  Dr.  F.  Granauer,  of 
K.  K.  Universitats-Bibliothek,  Vienna,  writes  that  none 
are  to  be  found  in  that  library  either  in  books  or  peri- 
odicals; while  Dr.  Golz,  of  Berlin,  writes:  "What  your 
Audubon,  Wilson,  and  others  say  with  reference  to  the 
bird-songs  has  not  been  excelled  in  Germany.  What  we 
have  is  in  Brehm's  'Gefangene  Vogel.'"  Brehm's  work 
contains  no  notations. 


viii  EDITOR'S  PREFACE. 

Librarian  F.  Thomae,  University  Library  of  Tubingen, 
writes  that  the  only  work  on  bird  music  known  to  him 
is  Landois's  "  Thierstimmen."  Dr.  Euss,  of  Berlin,  writes 
a  little  more  encouragingly,  saying  that  there  are  a  few 
notations  of  bird-songs  scattered  through  "  Die  gefiederte 
Welt,"  a  periodical  at  present  under  his  direction.  After 
this  report  from  music-loving,  nature-loving,  studious 
Germany,  there  is  little  hope  of  help  elsewhere. 

The  editor,  no  more  of  an  ornithologist  and  much  less 
of  a  musician  than  the  author,  cannot  hope  that  he  has 
steered  clear  of  error;  he  hopes  only  for  the  general 
judgment  that  the  work  were  better  done  crudely  than 
not  at  all.  A  most  grateful  acknowledgment  is  made 
to  the  many  authors,  editors,  publishers,  and  proprietors 
whose  names  appear,  in  connection  with  their  several 
contributions,  in  the  index  and  in  the  list  at  the  end  of 
the  volume. 

JOHN  VANCE  CHENEY. 
SAN  FRANCISCO, 

December  29,  1891. 


FACSIMILE  AND  TRANSCRIPT. 


I 


3    4 


i 

a 

1' 

I 


I 


!i  I 

i  1  ^ 

9      bo 


.r 


a?  o 

If 

o 

5  a 

CQ  c3 

O  © 

d  £ 

1  JS 


a  .a 
.s    a 


CONTENTS. 


PAGE 

INTRODUCTION 1 

BLUEBIRD  (Sialia  sialis) 11 

ROBIN  (Turdus  migratorius) 14 

SONG-SPARROW  (Melospiza  melodia) 23 

CHICKADEE  (Parus  atricapillus) 27 

WHITE-BELLIED  NUTHATCH  (Sitta  Carolinensis)  ....  29 

GOLDEN-WINGED  WOODPECKER  ;  FLICKER  (Colaptes  auratus)  30 

MEADOW  LARK  (Sturnella  magnet) 33 

FIELD  SPARROW  (Spizella  pusilla) 35 

LINNET;  PURPLE  FINCH;  PURPLE  GROSBEAK  (Carpodacus 

purpureus) 37 

YELLOW-BIRD  ;  AMERICAN  GOLDFINCH  (CJirysomitris  tristis)  39 

CHIPPING  SPARROW  {Spizella  socialis) 40 

WHITE-THROATED  SPARROW  (Zonotrichia  albicollis)  ...  42 

FOX-COLORED  SPARROW  (Passerella  iliaca) 44 

CHEWINK  ;  TOWHEE  BUNTING  ;  GROUND  ROBIN  (Pipilo 

erythrophthalmus) 45 

YELLOW  WARBLER  (Dendroica  cestiva)  47 

BLACK-THROATED  GREEN  WARBLER  (Dendroica  virens)  .  48 

AMERICAN  WARBLERS  (Sylmcolidce) 49 

REDSTART  (Setophaga  ruticilld) 51 

CAT-BIRD  (Mimus  Carolinensis) 52 

BROWN  THRUSH  ;  BROWN  THRASHER  (HarporJiynchus  rufus)  54 

WOOD  THRUSH;  SONG  THRUSH  (Turdus  mustelinus)  ...  56 


xiv  CONTENTS. 

PAGE 

TAWNY   THRUSH;    WILSON'S    THRUSH;    VEERY    (Turdus 

fuscescens)       58 

HERMIT  THRUSH  (Turdus pallasi) 59 

OVEN-BIRD  ;   GOLDEN-CROWNED  ACCENTOR   (Seiurus  auro- 

capillus) 62 

WOOD-PEWEE  (Contopus  virens) 64 

THE  NIGHT-HAWK  (Chordeiles  Virginianus) 66 

WHIPPOORWILL  (Antrostomus  vociferus) 68 

BALTIMORE  ORIOLE  (Icterus  Baltimore) 71 

SCARLET  TANAGER  (Pyranga  rubrd) 74 

ROSE-BREASTED  GROSBEAK  (Goniaphea  Ludoviciand)  ...  76 

RED-EYED  VIREO  ( Vireo  olivaceus) 78 

YELLOW-BREASTED  CHAT  (Icteria  viridis) 79 

BOBOLINK  (Dolichonyx  oryzivorus) 82 

INDIGO-BIRD  (Cyanospiza  cyanea) 85 

BLACK-BILLED  CUCKOO  (Coccygus  erythrophthalmus)     ...  87 

YELLOW-BILLED  CUCKOO  (Coccygus  Americanus)     ....  89 

QUAIL  ;  BOB  WHITE  (Ortyx  Virginianus) 90 

RUFFED  GROUSE;  PARTRIDGE;  PHEASANT  (Bonasa  umbellus)  92 

GREAT  NORTHERN  DIVER  ;  LOON  (Colymbus  torquatus)  .    .  95 

GREAT  HORNED  OWL  (Bubo  Virginianus) 98 

MOTTLED  OWL;  SCREECH-OWL  (Scops  asio) 100 

HEN  Music                   104 


APPENDIX 113 

VARIOUS  NOTATIONS  OF  THE  Music  OF  NATURE  .    .  205 

BIBLIOGRAPHY 229 

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ,    ....  241 

INDEX  245 


INTEODUCTIOlSr. 


OOME  six  years  ago,  when  I  began  to  prepare  this 
****  little  collection  of  the  songs  of  the  more  common 
birds  of  New  England,  I  anticipated  many  difficulties; 
and  they  have  been  realized.  The  singing  season  is  brief, 
and  no  one  locality  will  suffice.  Again,  when  one  is  so 
fortunate  as  to  find  a  bird  long  sought,  he  may  not  sing ; 
and  if  he  does,  the  next  moment  he  may  fly  beyond 
hearing  or  finding.  Besides,  it  requires  several  repeti- 
tions of  a  song  to  insure  accuracy  in  the  copy ;  and  the 
song  of  to-day  may  be  so  varied  to-morrow  as  to  be 
hardly  recognizable.  Another  difficulty,  well  worthy  of 
mention,  is  the  newness  of  the  field.  At  the  time  I  took 
down  my  first  song  I  had  no  knowledge  of  any  person 
in  America  who  had  made  the  attempt ;  and  thus  far  I 
have  found  no  hint  that  has  been  of  service  to  me. 

Fifty  years'  experience  as  a  singing-master  has  taught 

me  that  there  is  nothing  people  think  so  much  of,  pay  so 

much  money  for,  and  still  know  so  little  about,  as  music. 

*Most  emphatically  may  this,  save  the  money  clause,  be 

affirmed  of  the  music  of  Nature.     However  thoroughly 

i 


2  WOOD  NOTES   WILD. 

the  birds  are  considered  in  every  other  point,  when  we 
come  to  their  music,  —  that  is,  to  the  very  life,  the  spirit, 
—  we  must  take  our  choice  between  silence  and  error. 
A  modern  English  writer  says,  for  example,  "  There  is 
no  music  in  Nature,  neither  melody  nor  harmony." 
What  is  melody  but  a  succession  of  simple  sounds  dif- 
fering in  length  and  pitch?  How  then  can  it  be  said 
that  bird-songs  are  not  melodies  ?  And  if  melodies, 
that  they  are  not  music  ?  A  melody  may  be  of  greater 
or  less  length.  I  think  we  shall  find  that  the  little 
bird-songs  are  melodies,  containing  something  of  all  we 
know  of  melody,  and  more  too;  and  this  in  most  ex- 
quisite forms. 

The  writer  just  quoted  observes  further  that  "  the  cuc- 
koo, who  often  sings  a  true  third  and  sometimes  a  sharp 
third  or  even  a  fourth,  is  the  nearest  approach  to  music 
in  Nature."  I  am  not  sure  how  it  is  in  England,  but 
with  us  the  cuckoo's  skill  is  slight  for  so  wide  a  reputa- 
tion. Of  all  the  songs  of  our  birds,  his  song  has  per- 
haps the  least  melody.  It  is  as  monotonous  as  it  is 
protracted,  hugging  the  tonic  all  the  way,  save  an  occa- 
sional drop  of  a  minor  second,  the  smallest  interval  in 
our  scale.  The  cuckoo  of  New  England  never  sings  a 
third  of  any  kind. 

"No  music  in  Nature"!  The  very  mice  sing;  the 
toads,  too;  and  the  frogs  make  "music  on  the  waters." 
The  summer  grass  about  our  feet  is  alive  with  little 
musicians. 


WOOD  NOTES   WILD.  3 

"  The  songs  of  Nature  never  cease, 
Her  players  sue  not  for  release. 
In  nearer  fields,  on  hills  afar, 
Attendant  her  musicians  are : 
From  water  brook  or  forest  tree, 
For  aye  comes  gentle  melody, 
The  very  air  is  music  blent  — 
An  universal  instrument." 

Even  inanimate  things  have  their  music.  Listen  to 
the  water  dropping  from  a  faucet  into  a  bucket  partially 
filled:  — 


r  r  \   r  ra 


Or.fr  cj 


u  r  L 


r  r  °r  r 


£ 


I  have  been  delighted  with  the  music  of  a  door  as  it 
swung  lazily  on  its  hinges,  giving  out  charming  tones 
resembling  those  of  a  bugle  in  the  distance,  forming 
pleasing  melodic  strains,  interwoven  with  graceful  slides 


4  WOOD  NOTES  WILD. 

and  artistic  touches  worthy  of  study  and  imitation. 
Awakened  by  the  fierce  wind  of  a  winter  night,  I  have 
heard  a  common  clothes-rack  whirl  out  a  wild  melody  in 
the  purest  intervals:  — 


"  No  music  in  Nature " !  Surely  the  elements  have 
never  kept  silence  since  this  ball  was  set  swinging 
through  infinite  space  in  tune  with  the  music  of  the 
spheres.  Their  voices  were  ever  sounding  in  combative 
strains,  through  fire  and  flood,  from  the  equator  to  the 
poles,  innumerable  ages  before  the  monsters  of  sea  and 
earth  added  their  bellowings  to  the  chorus  of  the  uni- 
verse. From  the  hugest  beast  down  to  the  smallest 
insect,  each  creature  with  its  own  peculiar  power  of 
sound,  we  come,  in  their  proper  place,  upon  the  birds, 
not  in  their  present  dress  of  dazzling  beauty,  and  singing 
their  matchless  songs,  but  with  immense  and  uncouth 
bodies  perched  on  two  long,  striding  legs,  with  voices  to 
match  those  of  many  waters  and  the  roar  of  the  tempest. 
We  know  that  in  those  monstrous  forms  were  hidden  the 
springs  of  sweet  song  and  the  germs  of  beautiful  plumage; 
but  who  can  form  any  idea  of  the  slow  processes, — of  the 
long,  long  periods  of  time  that  Nature  has  taken  in  her 
progressive  work  from  the  first  rude  effort  up  to  the 
present  perfection  ?  So  far  as  the  song  is  concerned,  the 
hoarse  thunderings  of  the  elements,  the  bellowings  of  the 
monsters  of  both  land  and  water,  the  voices  of  things 
animate  and  inanimate,  —  all  must  be  forced,  age  on  to 


WOOD  NOTES   WILD.  5 

age,  through  her  grand  music  crucible,  and  the  precious 
essence  given  to  the  birds. 

Though  the  birds  expressed  themselves  vocally  ages 
before  there  were  human  ears  to  hear  them,  it  is  hardly  to 
be  supposed  that  their  early  singing  bore  much  resem- 
blance to  the  bird  music  of  to-day.  It  is  not  at  all  likely 
that  on  some  fine  morning,  too  far  back  for  reckoning,  the 
world  was  suddenly  and  for  the  first  time  flooded  with 
innumerable  bird  songs,  and  that  ever  since  birds  have 
sung  as  they  then  sang  and  as  they  sing  now.  There 
were  no  reporters  to  tell  us  when  the  birds  began  to  sing, 
but  the  general  history  of  human  events  chronicles  the 
interest  with  which  birds  and  bird-singing  have  been 
regarded  by  the  nations  of  the  past,  leaving  us  to  infer 
that  when  men  and  birds  became  acquainted,  the  birds 
were  already  singing. 

It  would  seem,  then,  that  our  bird  music  is  a  thing  of 
growth,  and  of  very  slow  growth.  The  tall  walkers  and 
squawkers  having  gradually  acquired  the  material  ma- 
chinery for  song,  and  the  spirit  of  song  being  pent  up 
within  them,  they  were  ultimately  compelled  to  make 
music,  to  sing. 

Dare  we  hazard  a  few  crude  conjectures  as  to  the 
details  of  this  growth  ?  Every  musical  student  is  aware 
that  there  are  certain  tones  which,  if  produced  at  the 
same  moment,  harmonize,  merge  one  into  another,  with 
most  pleasing  effect.  Our  scale  of  eight  tones  represents 
the  order  of  intervals  throughout  the  whole  realm  of 


6  WOOD  NOTES   WILD. 

sound ;  and  the  most  natural  combination  of  tones  in  it 
is  the  common  chord,  consisting  of  three  tones,  one,  three, 
and  five,  forming  two  intervals,  a  major  third  and  a  minor 
third,  which  together  make  a  fifth.  These  three  tones  are 
more  readily  appreciated  by  the  uneducated  ear  than  the 
regular  order  of  tones  in  the  scale.  Players  on  the  old- 
fashioned  keyless  bugles  could  play  them,  with  their 
octaves  perhaps,  and  nothing  else;  and  boys  can  play 
them  on  long  dry  milk-weed  stalks.  I  have  been  sur- 
prised at  the  readiness  with  which  dull-eared  boys  learn 
to  tune  the  strings  of  a  violin,  which  are  the  interval  of 
a  fifth  apart,  while  they  are  slow  to  determine  the  inter- 
vening tones.  One  and  five  of  the  scale,  then,  have  the 
strongest  affinity,  the  one  for  the  other,  of  any  two  tones 
in  it. 

Now,  after  the  "flight  of  ages,"  when  the  birds  had 
emerged  from  the  state  of  monstrosity,  each  raw  singer 
having  chanted  continuously  his  individual  tonic,  there 
came  a  time  when  they  must  take  a  long  step  forward 
and  enter  the  world  of  song.  In  the  vast  multitude  of 
feathered  creatures  there  must  have  been  an  endless 
variety  of  forms  and  sizes,  and  a  proportionate  variety 
in  the  pitch  and  quality  of  their  voices.  Day  to  day, 
year  to  year,  each  bird  had  heard  his  fellows  squall, 
squawk,  screech,  or  scream  their  individual  tones,  till 
in  due  time  he  detected  here  and  there  in  the  tremen- 
dous chorus  certain  tones  that  had  a  special  affinity  for 
his  own.  This  affinity,  strengthened  by  endless  repeti- 
tions, at  last  made  an  exchange  of  tones  natural  and  easy. 
Suppose  there  were  two  leading  performers,  the  key  of 


WOOD  NOTES   WILD.  7 

one  being  G,  and  the  key  of  the  other  being  D,  a  fifth 
above  G,  what  could  have  been  more  natural  than  for 
these  two  voices  to  unite,  either  on  D  or  G,  or  both,  and 
to  vibrate  into  one  ?  This  accomplished,  the  bondage  of 
monotony  and  chaos  was  broken  forever,  and  progress 
assured;  the  first  strain  of  the  marvellous  harmony  of  the 
future  was  sounded,  the  song  of  the  birds  was  begun. 
One  can  almost  hear  those  rude,  rising  geniuses  exercising 
their  voices  with  increased  fervor,  vibrating  from  one  to 
five  and  five  to  one  of  the  scale, —  pushing  on  up  the  glad 
way  of  liberty  and  melody.  With  each  vibration  from 
one  to  five  and  from  five  to  one,  the  leading  tone  of  the 
scale,  the  other  member  of  the  common  chord,  which  so 
affinitizes  with  one  and  five,  was  passed  over.  The  next 
step  was  to  insert  this  tone,  which  being  done,  the  em- 
ployment of  the  remaining  tones  was  simply  a  matter  of 
time.  So  it  was,  to  my  notion,  that  the  birds  learned  to 
sing. 

To  say  that  the  music  of  the  birds  is  similar  in  struc- 
ture to  our  own,  is  not  to  say  that  they  use  no  intervals 
less  than  our  least.  They  do  this,  and  I  am  well  aware 
that  not  all  of  their  music  can  be  written.  Many  of 
their  rhythmical  and  melodic  performances  are  difficult 
of  comprehension,  to  say  nothing  of  committing  them 
to  paper.  The  song  of  the  bobolink  is  an  instance  in 
point.  Indeed,  one  cannot  listen  to  any  singing-bird 
without  hearing  something  inimitable  and  indescribable. 
Who  shall  attempt  a  description  of  the  tremolo  in  the 
song  of  the  meadow  lark,  the  graceful  shading  and  sliding 
of  the  tones  of  the  thrushes  ?  But  these  ornaments,  be 


8  WOOD  NOTES   WILD. 

they  never  so  profuse,  are  not  the  sum  and  substance  of. 
bird-songs ;  and  it  is  in  the  solid  body  of  the  song  that 
we  find  the  relationship  to  our  own  music.  The  songs  of 
many  of  the  birds  may  be  detected  as  readily  as  the  mel- 
odies of  "  Ortonville  "  and  "  Kock  of  Ages."  In  passing,  one 
morning  last  summer,  I  heard  a  chewink  sing  the  first 
strain  of  the  beautiful  old  conference-meeting  tune  last 
named.  Though  I  have  never  heard  any  other  chewink 
sing  that  strain,  it  was  a  chewink  that  sang  then,  afford- 
ing startling  proof  of  the  variation  in  the  singing  of  the 
same  birds.  The  chickadees  sing  a  few  long  tones  in  the 
most  deliberate  manner ;  and  nothing  this  side  of  heaven 
is  purer.  I  do  not  refer  to  their  chick-a-dee-dee-dee  chat, 
though  they  sometimes  connect  that  with  their  singing. 
The  chickadee  and  the  wood-pewee  have  the  most  devout 
of  all  the  bird-songs  I  have  heard. 

We  all  know  how  moderately  and  distinctly  the  little 
whistling,  white-throated  sparrow  sings  his  song,  and  how 
the  tiny  black-throated  green  warbler  sends  out  his  few 
white  notes  of  cheer  from  among  the  dark  pines. 

Conjecture  as  we  may  concerning  the  growth  and  de- 
velopment of  birds  and  bird-songs,  we  know  that  the 
birds  now  sing  in  a  wonderful  manner,  using  all  the 
intervals  of  the  major  and  minor  scales  in  perfection  of 
intonation,  with  a  purity  of  voice  and  finish  of  execution, 
with  an  exquisiteness  of  melody,  a  magnetic  and  spiritual 
charm  appurtenant  to  no  other  music  on  earth.  The 
horse  neighs,  the  bull  bellows,  the  lion  roars,  the  tiger 


WOOD  NOTES   WILD.  9 

growls, —  the  world  is  full  of  vocal  sounds;  only  the 
birds  sing.  They  are  Nature's  finest  artists,  whose  lives 
and  works  are  above  the  earth.  They  have  not  learned 
of  us;  it  is  our  delight  to  learn  of  them.  To  no  other 
living  things  are  man's  mind  and  heart  so  greatly  in- 
debted. Myriads  of  these  beautiful  creatures,  journeying 
thousands  of  miles  over  oceans  and  continents,  much  of 
the  way  by  night  —  to  avoid  murderers !  —  return,  unfail- 
ing as  the  spring,  prompt  even  to  the  day  and  hour,  to 
build  their  cunning  nests  and  rear  their  young  in  our 
orchards  and  door-yards,  to  delight  us  with  their  beauty 
and  grace  of  movement,  and  above,  far  above,  all,  to 
pour  over  the  world  the  glory  of  their  song.  He  that 
hath  ears  to  hear,  let  him  hear. 


BLUEBIKD. 

STAT.TA    SIAUS. 

OUK  first  two  spring  visitors  are  the  bluebird  and 
the  robin,  the   bluebird  invariably  coming  first. 
The  following  are  the  principal  features  of  the  blue- 
bird's  songs  as  I  took  them,  from  time  to  time,  last 
season. 

Early  on  the  morning  of  the  17th  of  March  my  ear 
caught  his  first  far,  faint,  but  sweet  notes. 

1*          ^ 


*         Hear  me,     hear    me. 

The  weather  was  cold,  and  I  heard  no  more  for  several 
days  ;  but  on  the  morning  of  the  25th  one  made  bold  to 
come  into  the  orchard,  where  he  appeared  to  feel  quite  at 
home.  Though  it  was  still  cold,  his  pure,  soft  notes  held 
me  within  hearing  for  half  an  hour,  during  which  time 
some  of  his  morning  talk  (the  music  of  a  bluebird  is 
often  quite  as  much  like  talking  as  like  singing)  was 
secured. 


U  -LI 


12  WOOD  NOTES   WILD. 

The  next  morning  I  heard  him  sing  simply,  — 

3. 


Che- way  che-chute. 

The  morning  of  the  28th  being  rainy,  I  feared  I  should  see 
no  birds,  but  by  9  o'clock  the  clouds  began  to  vanish,  and 
suddenly  there  were  three  species  within  four  rods  of  my 
window, —  a  flock  of  snow-birds,  a  white-breasted  nut- 
hatch, and  the  bluebird.  The  latter  lit  upon  the  stump 
of  a  small  plum-tree,  when  white-breast  lit  upon  the 
side  of  the  stump  and  began  to  dart  up  and  down 
and  around,  below  him.  The  bluebird  was  evidently 
puzzled  at  his  friend's  eccentric  movements.  Shifting 
quickly  from  point  to  point,  he  would  peer  over  in  a 
very  quizzical  and  comical  manner,  as  much  as  to  say, 
"  How  do  you  do  that  ? "  It  was  a  pretty  pantomime  ; 
and  though  no  music  was  added  to  my  notes,  I  was 
grateful  for  the  call.  When  the  silent  birds  took  to 
the  air  and  left  me  alone  again,  I  could  not  but  exclaim, 
"  How  beautiful  are  birds,  and  where  is  the  match  for  the 
blue  of  the  bluebird!" 

Thus  far  the  bluebird  sang  in  the  key  of  D  minor. 
I  afterward  heard  him  sing  in  several  keys,  as  here 
represented :  — 


WOOD  NOTES   WILD. 


13 


g^V^-s 


In  these  examples,  the  bluebird  uses  the  minor  key 
altogether:  we  have  him  in  four  positions  of  it.  The 
fact  that  he  sings  in  the  minor  key  may  partly  explain 
the  tenderness  characterizing  his  song ;  but  undoubtedly 
the  plaintive  quality  of  his  tone  is  the  more  important 
factor.  The  written  songs  of  the  bluebird  and  the  robin 
might  lead  one  to  conclude  that  their  performance  would 
produce  much  the  same  effect,  but  on  hearing  them  the 
contrast  is  striking. 


KOBIN. 

TURDUS  MIGBATORIUS. 

LAST  season  the  robin  was  five  days  behind  the  blue- 
bird. The  first  note  I  heard  from  him  proved 
him  a  magician;  the  sound  of  his  voice,  filling  the  air 
with  joy,  spread  a  glow  of  instantaneous  happiness  over 
the  morning  landscape.  Perched  on  the  topmost  twig 
of  a  tall  maple,  I  had  only  time  to  lift  my  hat  when 
he  saluted  me  with, 


This  he  repeated  two  or  three  times  with  martial  ardor 
and  precision ;  then  with  his  parting 


^T==f-. 


Lit,          lit,          lit,    lit,    lit. 


and  with  a  flirt  of  his  tail  at  each  note,  he  left  the  grove. 
He  flew  high,  scorning  the  earth,  and  did  not  return  till 
evening.  Then  he  did  not  sing ;  it  was  only, 


Lit,     lit,     lit,          leu,     leu. 


WOOD  NOTES   WILD.  15 

The  effect  was  that  of  a  call,  but  there  was  no  answer. 
Soon  he  called  again  louder,  with  more  rapid  notes,  giving 
another  interval :  — 


C   C   C 


Lit,  lit,    lit,    lit,    lit,      leu,    leu,     leu. 

The  next  morning  he  again  appeared  on  the  same  twig, 
and  called, "  Lit,  lit,  lit,"  to  which  a  bluebird  promptly 
responded,  — 


Chee  -  oo  -  wy,  chee  -  oo  -  wy. 

and  a  nuthatch  rattled  away  merrily  at  them  both, — 


i 


Wait,     wait,  wait,     wait,     wait,  wait,  wait,    wait,  wait, 

t4-^-^-H?=c=E=j=B==r=r=l 

wait,  wait,  wait.  Ick  -   y,  ick   -   y,        ick   -   y. 

Some  two  weeks  passed  before  the  morning  songs  proper 
began,  my  first  record  being  made  May  5.  On  that  morn- 
ing before  light,  I  was  out,  and  within  a  few  feet  of  a 
robin  that  struck  up  his  song  in  a  small  pear-tree,  not 
more  than  ten  feet  from  the  ground.  On  this  occasion  I 
settled  one  point ;  namely,  that  the  robin  frequently  sings 
other  notes  than  those  heard.  He  has  a  habit  of,  as  it 
were,  closing  his  mouth  between  strains,  and  making 
muffled,  indistinct  tones  —  an  imperfect  echo,  or  better, 


16 


WOOD  NOTES   WILD. 


a  burlesque  repetition.  The  effect  is  humorous;  for  he 
seems  to  be  shyly  ridiculing  his  performance  as  he 
goes  along,  for  his  own  private  enjoyment.  This  after- 
effort,  not  intended  for  the  public,  is  usually  pitched  at 
the  top  of  his  voice,  so  high  that  his  voice  often  breaks, 
when  the  result  is  truly  ludicrous.  I  am  convinced  that 
many  times  when  we  think  the  robin  is  resting  between 
strains,  he  is  busying  himself  in  the  manner  described. 
His  song  on  this  occasion  ran, — 


2.    Another  song  at  daybreak. 


May  6,  at  4  P.  M.,  there  were  signs  of  rain,  and  red- 
breast seemed  to  be  unusually  inspired.  He  sang  with 
great  spirit, — 


While  at  my  work,  May  8,  I  heard  him  introducing 


WOOD  NOTES   WILD.  17 

new  "  kinks  "  in  his  vocal  twistings.     He  repeated  them 
many  times,  almost  to  tiresomeness.     They  were, — 


4. 


The  morning  of  the  14th  opened  rainy,  but  the  drops 
did  not  stop  the  concert  of  the  birds.  On  putting  my 
head  out  to  catch  the  first  of  it,  a  pewee  was  singing, 


Pe   -  wee,  pe   -  wee. 


and  a  robin  defied  the  shower  in  good  set  terms :  — 


i    '/!« 


Whether  he  meant  to  sing  in  E  major  or  minor,  I  did  not 
decide. 

May  23  I  was  awake  before  2  o'clock  A.  M.,  and  all 
was  still ;  not  even  a  frog  peeped.  At  the  first  faint  com- 
ing of  light  the  rooster  crowed;  and  in  about  half  an 
hour  I  heard  the  first  bird-notes,  the  robin's.  At  this 
hour  the  robin  does  not  burst  into  full  song,  but  begins 
with  a  subdued  twitter,  which  rapidly  opens  and  attunes 
his  throat  for  the  splendid  moment  when,  yielding  him- 
self to  the  fresh  gladness,  he  puts  forth  all  his  power. 
The  present  performance  was  in  a  little  maple  close  by 
my  window,  where,  undoubtedly,  he  had  spent  the  night. 
His  song  was, — 

2 


18 


WOOD  NOTES    WILD. 
£=£=£= 


There  is  no  mistake  about  this  being  in  the  major 
key,  and  a  bit  of  choice  melody.  Delivered,  as  it  was, 
with  delightful  animation,  the  effect  was  cheering  to  the 
last  degree.  Other  voices  joined,  and  immediately  there 
was  a  grand  chorus,  in  which,  much  to  my  amusement, 
the  frogs  and  toads,  silent  up  to  this  time,  took  a  lively 
part,  not  to  be  outdone  by  the  whole  choiring  hosts  of 
orioles,  catbirds,  pewees,  sparrows,  and  other  feathered 
rivals.  The  only  fault  with  the  performance  was  its 
brevity ;  in  a  few  minutes  all  was  silent  as  before.  The 
robin  sings  more  hours  than  almost  any  other  bird.  His 
songs  are  short  and  he  repeats  them  many  times,  but  he 
is  by  no  means  stereotyped  in  his  forms ;  indeed,  he  is 
fair  at  extemporizing  when  the  mood  takes  him.  A  com- 
mendable variety  will  be  discovered  in  the  annexed 
melodies. 


7. 


WOOD  NOTES   WILD. 
12,    June  5,    4  P.  M. 


19 


14.    June  19,  A.  M.    Before  rain. 


18. 


20 


WOOD  NOTES   WILD. 


1       E-J— E 


20.    Signal  for  flight. 


£ 


Chick -y    ick-y    chick -y     eu,        Chick -y    ick-y    chick-y       eu. 
21.    Sept.  ai,  cold  and  rainy.  ^ 


f 


P     C"   C     r     C *— E     E 

"      ^      b      ^  +=* 


lEtr-tr-S- 


oe,        oe, 


oe,       up,      up,       up. 


From  these  examples  it  will  be  seen  that  bird-music  is 
akin  to  our  own;  the  same  intervals  are  used,  those  of 
'the  major  and  minor  keys.  No.  7  brings  to  mind  the 
first  half  of  an  old  melody  sung  by  the  spinning-girls  fifty 
years  ago,  as  a  substitute  for  counting,  while  reeling 
yarn  :  — 


All      a  -   long,  all       a   -  long,   all      a  -    long,  all     s   -   long, 


j     j     J1 


all 


long,       all 


long      link    •  turn       loo. 


WOOD  NOTES   WILD.  21 

Who  is  the  plagiarist? 

The  majority  of  singing-birds  make  free  use  of  triplets ; 
the  robins  abound  in  them.  They  are  generally  separated 
by  brief  rests ;  but  in  some  instances  two  or  three  triplets 
are  given  without  rests,  as  in  Nos.  13  and  16. 

The  robins  sing  throughout  the  summer,  their  in- 
cessant repetitions  frequently  becoming  tiresome.  They 
take  the  lead  at  the  opening  of  the  season,  and  hold  it. 
Every  morning  they  begin  the  concert,  and  are  the  prin- 
cipal performers ;  indeed,  they  seem  to  feel  competent  to 
make  up  the  entire  choir,  if  necessary.  They  are  by  no. 
means  our  best  singers,  but  were  we  deprived  of  them, 
we  should  miss  their  songs  more  than  those  of  any  other 
bird.  They  are  the  most  social  and  domestic  of  all  the 
migrating  birds,  belonging  to  the  farm  almost  as  much 
as  do  the  hens  and  chickens.  They  come  early  and 
stay  late;  and  after  they  are  supposed  to  be  gone  for 
good,  if  you  have  a  nice  mountain  ash,  hanging  thick 
with  clusters  of  beautiful  red  berries,  —  the  very  gem 
of  all  outdoor  ornaments  at  this  season,  —  some  very 
windy  day  a  cloud  of  robins  will  swoop  down  upon 
it,  when  nothing  will  save  it.  In  mitigation  of  his 
offence,  I  am  willing  to  believe  that  the  robin  does 
not  think  himself  a  robber,  but  simply  a  high-handed 
taker  of  what  he  has  earned  by  long  service  of  song, 
the  "  provender  of  praise." 

September  21,  a  cold,  rainy  day,  when  no  other  bird 
was  to  be  seen,  I  heard  a  robin  exclaim, — 

^    Q£          *  1  m  I  •  » «          '/^          J  ^  In 

ItiP  E      E      "      t   ^^  p      f     n     C     -C— | — H 


22  WOOD  NOTES   WILD. 

He  spoke  with  much  decision  and  independence,  as 
much  as  to  say,  "  I  am  alone,  but  can  take  care  of  my- 
self I"  It  is  a  point  worth  noticing  that  the  farewell  of 
the  robin  is  very  similar  in  style  to  his  first  salute  in  the 
spring. 

The  last  I  saw  of  the  robins  they  were  collecting,  at 
early  morning,  in  the  small  trees  and  bushes  about  a  pond 
near  the  grove.  Very  brisk,  both  in  voice  and  movement, 
their  main  notes  were :  — 


SONG-SPARROW. 

MELOSPIZA   MELODIA. 

sparrow  family  is  a  large  one.  There  may  be 
twenty  species,  half  of  which,  at  least,  spend  the 
summer  in  New  England.  The  song-sparrows  are  the 
most  numerous;  they  sing  the  most,  and  exhibit  the 
greatest  variety  of  melody.  Standing  near  a  small  pond 
recently,  I  heard  a  song-sparrow  sing  four  distinct  songs 
within  twenty  minutes,  repeating  each  several  times. 


r   r   f 


I  have  more  than  twenty  songs  of  this  sparrow,  and 
have  heard  him  in  many  other  forms.  He  generally 
gives  a  fine  trill  at  the  beginning  or  end  of  his  song. 
Sometimes,  however,  it  is  introduced  in  the  middle,  and 


24  WOOD  NOTES   WILD. 

occasionally  is  omitted,  especially  in  the  latter  part  of 
the  season.  There  is  a  marked  difference  in  the  quality 
and  volume  of  the  voices  of  different  individuals.  Dur- 
ing the  season  of  1885  I  listened  almost  daily  to  the 
strongest  and  best  sparrow  voice  that  I  have  ever  heard. 
There  was  a  fulness  and  richness,  particularly  in  the 
trills,  that  reminded  one  of  the  bewitching  tones  of  the 
wood-thrush.  These  are  some  of  his  songs:  — 


WOOD  NOTES   WILD. 


25 


It  will  not  do  to  say  that  the  singers  of  any  species 
sing  exactly  alike,  with  the  same  voice  and  style,  and 
always  in  the  same  key.  There  is  a  wide  difference 
between  the  singing  of  old  and  young  birds.  This  is 


26  WOOD  NOTES   WILD. 

especially  true  of  the  oriole,  the  tanager,  and  the  bobolink. 
The  voice  of  a  bird  four  years  old  is  very  much  fuller  and 
better  than  that  of  a  yearling ;  just  as  his  plumage  is 
deeper  and  richer  in  color. 

The  song- sparrow  comes  soon  after  the  bluebird  and 
the  robin,  and  sings  from  the  time  of  his  coming  till  the 
close  of  summer.  Unlike  his  cousin,  the  field-sparrow, 
he  seems  to  seek  the  companionship  of  man.  Sitting 
near  an  open  window  one  day  last  summer,  as  was  my 
habit,  my  attention  was  attracted  by  the  singing  of  a 
song-sparrow  perched  upon  a  twig  not  far  away.  Fancy- 
ing that  he  addressed  himself  to  me  individually,  I  re- 
sponded with  an  occasional  whistle.  He  listened  with 
evident  interest,  his  head  on  one  side  and  his  eye  rolled 
up.  For  many  days  in  succession  he  came  at  about  the 
same  hour  in  the  afternoon,  and  perching  in  the  same 
place  sang  his  cheery  and  varied  songs,  listening  in  turn 
to  my  whistles. 


CHICKADEE. 

PAEUS   ATBICAPILLUS. 

IT  was  a  fortunate  meeting  of  extremes  when  Emerson 
found  the  titmouse  in  the  winter  forest,  for  he  went 
home  and  put  his  little  friend  on  paper  so  surely  that  he 
can  never  fly  away :  — 

"  Here  was  this  atom  in  full  breath, 
Hurling  defiance  at  vast  death ; 
This  scrap  of  valor  just  for  play 
Fronts  the  north  wind  in  waistcoat  gray, 
As  if  to  shame  my  weak  behavior." 

The  chickadees  make  very  free  with  us  in  frosty  weather ; 
coming  about  our  homes,  they  help  themselves  without 
question.  If  driven  from  the  bit  of  meat  hung  up  to 
"keep"  in  the  cold,  they  utter  a  few  " chick-a-dee-dee- 
dees,"  and  fall  to  again  as  if  nothing  had  happened.  The 
"  chickadee  "  notes,  however,  are  their  chat,  not  their  song, 
though  sometimes  the  song  immediately  follows. 

One  clear,  cold  March  morning  before  sunrise,  I  was 
greeted  with  two  tones, 


Ear    - 


They  thrilled  me;  never  were  purer  tones  heard  on 
earth.    Presently  they  were  repeated,  when  I  discovered 


28 


WOOD  NOTES   WILD. 


a  pair  of  chickadees  on  a  limb  of  a  small  tree.  The 
song  came  from  one  of  them ;  and  when  he  shot  up  and 
away,  he  left  me  with  a  new  understanding  of  the  value 
of  purity  of  tone.  Nearly  all  small  birds  sing  rapidly, 
too  rapidly  for  appreciative  hearing ;  but  this  little  song- 
ster somehow  has  found  out  that  one  pure  minim  is 
worth  a  whole  strain  of  staccato  demi-semi-quavers. 

The  chickadees  sometimes  employ  a  delightful  form  of 
response  in  their  singing :  — 


WHITE-BELLIED  NUTHATCH. 

SITTA   CAEOLINENSIS. 

THIS  is  the  bird  that  stays  with  us,  clings  to  his 
native  woods  ;  summer  and  winter  he  is  at  home. 
During  one  long,  very  cold  winter  a  member  of  this 
family  was  one  of  my  most  intimate,  constant,  and  im- 
portant friends.  No  degree  of  cold  could  daunt  him. 
Early  in  the  morning  his  sharp,  rapid,  merry  notes  would 
lend  life  to  the  grove:  — 


Wait,     wait,  wait,     wait,     wait,          wait,     wait,  wait,    wait, 


#  c    c    c  *-t-  g   inf^^ 

Wait,   wait,    wait.  Ick    •  y,  ick   -   y,     ick 


GOLDEN-WINGED  WOODPECKER; 
FLICKER. 

COLAPTES   AUEATUS. 

THE  loud,  monotonous  vocalizing  of  this  handsome 
bird  is  hardly  song ;  still  we  often  hear  it  said, 
"  The  woodwall  is  singing,  we  are  going  to  have  rain." 
The  two-toned  "  rain-call "  is  his  song,  if  he  have  one. 
The  performance  is  long  enough  for  a  song,  but  rather 
narrow. 


Ores 


Wet,    wet,     wet,    wet,     wet,    wet,   wet,   wet,   wet,   wet,   wet,  wet, 


do.       dim In 

-e-E    C— E— E=C— 6— fe 


Wet,     wet,     wet,    wet,     wet,    wet,    wet,    wet,  wet,  wet,    wet,  wet, 


....       en       -       -       -       -       'do. 

6     C     E     C     C     C     E     C 


Wet,    wet,     wet,    wet,      wet,    wet,     wet,     wet,    wet,     wet,    wet. 

If  the  cuckoo,  whose  song  is  so  famous,  can  be  called  a 
singer,  this  woodpecker  is  a  songster;  for  he  performs 


WOOD  NOTES   WILD.  31 

oftener,  longer,  and  louder,  than  the  cuckoo,  using  the 
same  melodic  variety  of  a  minor  second,  which  is  the 
least  possible. 

The  golden-wings  are  geniuses  at  a  frolic.  When  two 
or  more  of  them  are  together  they  have  a  brisk  chase  of  it 
round  and  up  the  trunks  of  the  great  trees  and  out  on  the 
big  limbs,  crying,  — 


=P=*t        g       ^       g      ^=fcJEB 

Wake    up,          wake    up,        wake      up,          wake    up. 

We  have  no  true  singing-bird  so  large  as  this  wood- 
pecker. 

The  bright  hues  of  the  tanager  and  the  oriole  may 
attract  the  eye  quicker  than  his,  but  no  other  of  our  birds 
displays  the  whole  world  of  color  in  every  conceivable 
combination.  These  birds  are  frequenters  of  meadows 
and  pastures ;  they  like  to  be  on  the  ground  and  to  dig  in 
it.  When  they  rise,  they  swing  away  through  the  air  in 
great  billowy  lines  of  indescribable  grace.  Wilson  takes 
much  pains  in  describing  the  ingenuity  and  perseverance 
of  these  birds  in  digging  out  their  nests.  "  I  have  seen," 
he  says,  "  where  they  have  dug  first  five  inches  straight 
forward,  and  then  downward  more  than  twice  that  dis- 
tance, through  a  solid  black  oak."  He  further  states  that 
they  work  "  till  a  very  late  hour  in  the  evening,  thumping 
like  carpenters;"  also  that  "the  male  and  female  work 
alternately." 

The  golden-winged  woodpecker  has  many  surprises  in 
store  for  them  that  do  not  know  him.  It  will  be  some- 


32  WOOD  NOTES   WILD. 

what  startling  when   he  simply  calls   the  roll    of    his 
names :  — 

Golden-winged  Woodpecker.  Harry  Wicket. 

High  Hole.  Flicker. 

WoodwalL  Hittock. 

Yucker.  Piut 

Wake-Up.  Yarrup. 
Yellow  Hammer. 

The  natives  about  Hudson's   Bay  call  him  Ou-thee- 
quan-nor-ow. 


MEADOW    LAKK. 

STTJRNELLA   MAGNA. 

LIKE  the  partridge,  the  meadow  lark  has  favorite 
places  of  resort,  where  he  stands  and  sings  or 
keeps  silent,  as  the  mood  takes  him.  His  flight  also 
resembles  that  of  the  partridge  and  of  the  quail.  Prob- 
ably our  largest  singing-bird,  his  voice  is  neither  loud 
nor  deep,  some  of  the  tones  being  rather  sharp  and 
weak.  He  lacks  the  vocal  power  of  the  robin,  and  of 
the  oriole,  a  bird  of  not  more  than  half  his  size; 
still  his  music  is  very  charming.  Wilson,  comparing 
him  with  the  skylark,  says,  "In  richness  of  plumage, 
as  well  as  sweetness  of  voice  (as  far  as  his  few  notes 
extend),  he  stands  eminently  his  superior." 

The  meadow  lark's  song  is  essentially  tender  and  plain- 
tive. In  the  early  dewy  morning  and  toward  evening, 
he  will  stand  a  long  time  upon  a  stump,  a  large  rock,  or 
rock-heap,  singing  at  intervals  little  snatches  of  melody ; 
occasionally,  like  the  oriole  and  the  king-fisher,  giving 
his  "  low,  rapid,  chattering  "  monotones.  It  is  a  favorite 
pastime  with  him  to  repeat  four  tones  many  times  in 
succession,  with  rests  intervening:  — 


34  WOOD  NOTES   WILD. 

Sometimes  he  will  add  to  them :  — 


These  fragmentary  strains,  when  connected,  form  an 
original  and  interesting  song. 

Now  and  then  there  is  an  exquisite,  subtile  tremor  in 
the  tones  of  this  singer,  no  more  to  be  described  than 
the  odor  of  a  rose.  It  somewhat  resembles  that  in  the 
tones  of  the  Wilson  thrush  as  he  trembles  along  down 
to  the  close  of  his  quivering,  silvery  song. 

Song  of  the  meadow  lark :  — 


F     n    g     "    I     I     I     P 


*=* 


i  c 


FIELD-SPARROW. 

SPIZELLA   PTJSILLA. 

THIS  sparrow,  less  common  than  the  song  or  the 
chipping  sparrow,  resembles  these  in  appearance 
and  habits.  He  is  not  so  social,  preferring  the  fields  and 
pastures  and  bushy  lots.  When  Wilson  wrote,  "  None  of 
our  birds  have  been  more  imperfectly  described  than  the 
family  of  the  finch  tribe  usually  called  sparrows,"  he 
wrote  well ;  but  when  he  wrote  of  this  one,  "  It  has  no 
song,"  he  brought  himself  under  his  own  criticism.  And 
when  Dr.  Coues,  on  the  contrary,  describes  him  as-  "  very 
melodious,  with  an  extensive  and  varied  score  to  sing 
from,"  and  further,  as  possessing  "  unusual  compass  of 
vocal  powers,"  he  much  better  describes  the  song  sparrow. 
The  field  sparrow  is  surely  a  fine  singer,  and  he  may 
have  several  songs.  I  have  heard  him  in  one  only; 
but  that  one,  though  short,  it  would  be  hard  to  equal. 
As  a  scientific  composition  it  stands  nearly  if  not  quite 
alone.  Dr.  Coues  quotes  Mr.  Minot  on  the  singing  of 
this  bird.  "They  open  with  a  few  exquisitely  modu- 
lated whistles,  each  higher  and  a  little  louder  than 
the  preceding,  and  close  with  a  sweet  trill."  The 
song  does  begin  with  two  or  three  well-separated  tones, 
—  or  "  whistles,"  if  you  please,  —  but  I  discover  no  mod- 
ulation, nor  is  each  higher  than  the  preceding,  the  open- 


36  WOOD  NOTES   WILD. 

ing  tones  being  on  the  same  pitch.  However,  the  song 
increases,  both  in  power  and  rapidity,  from  beginning 
to  end.  It  by  no  means  requires  "  unusual  compass,"  — 
simply  the  interval  of  a  minor  third. 

When  we  consider  the  genius  displayed  in  combining 
so  beautifully  the  three  grand  principles  of  sound, — 
length,  pitch,  and  power,  —  its  brevity  and  limited  com- 
pass make  it  all  the  more  wonderful.  Scarcely  anything 
in  rhythmics  and  dynamics  is  more  difficult  than  to  give 
a  perfect  accelerando  and  crescendo ;  and  the  use  of  the 
chromatic  scale  by  which  the  field  sparrow  rises  in  his 
lyric  flight  involves  the  very  pith  of  melodic  ability. 
This  little  musician  has  explored  the  whole  realm  of 
sound,  and  condensed  its  beauties  in  perfection  into  one 
short  song. 

Ores-      -  cen      ... 

Accelerando  el  crescendo. 


LINNET;   PUEPLE   FINCH;    PUEPLE 
GEOSBEAK. 

CABPODACTJS  PUBPUKEUS. 

THE  linnet  (this  is  the  popular  name)  is  a  very 
spirited  and  charming  singer,  especially  during  the 
mating  season.  A  careful  observer  tells  me  he  has  seen 
him  fly  from  the  side  of  his  mate  directly  upward  fifteen 
or  twenty  feet,  singing  every  instant  in  the  most  excited 
manner  till  he  dropped  to  the  point  of  starting.  The 
yellow-breasted  chat  has  a  like  performance,  and  so  has 
the  woodcock. 

The  linnet's  style  of  singing  is  a  warble,  but  his  song 
is  not  short  like  the  songs  of  the  warblers;  it  is  often 
a  protracted  extemporizing,  difficult  to  represent. 

Some  of  the  notes  of  the  linnet:  — 


Rapid  and  spirited. 


38  WOOD  NOTES   WILD. 

The  linnet  has  been  described  as  "  red  "  and  also  as 
"purple,"  but  really  he  seems  to  be  neither.  He  has  a 
reddish  back  and  neck,  and  his  head  is  almost  red.  The 
female  has  no  red  in  her  complexion.  The  linnets  are 
social,  building  in  our  orchards,  oftener  in  the  evergreens. 
They  are  kind  and  peaceful  birds,  yet  ever  ready  to 
avenge  an  insult  to  the  death. 

The  males  do  not  reach  their  full  plumage  till  the 
second  or  third  year.  If  caged,  after  the  first  moulting  in 
their  confinement  the  wild  colors  do  not  return;  the 
reddish  tint  is  exchanged  for  a  yellowish  cast,  and  so 
remains. 


YELLOW-BIRD;    AMERICAN    GOLDFINCH. 

CHRYSOMITBIS    TKISTIS. 

THE  yellow-birds,  frequenters  of  our  door-yards  and 
gardens,  are  of  all  birds  the  gentlest-mannered. 
"With  their  heads  crowned  with  black  caps,  their  yellow 
bodies,  black  wings  and  tails,  they  are  dainty,  high-bred 
visitors.  When  singing  in  chorus,  as  is  their  habit,  their 
soft  warblings  are  expressive  of  great  delight.  In  their 
most  characteristic  song,  of  only  four  notes,  they  are 
stronger- voiced,  singing  with  distinctness  and  moderation. 
This  song  is  performed  while  on  the  wing,  and  is  all  the 
more  charming  because  of  the  touch  of  sadness  that  it 
has  for  the  sensitive  listener.  The  flight  of  the  yellow- 
birds  follows  the  fashion  set  by  the  woodpeckers.  It  is  like 
the  riding  of  a  boat  over  great  billows  —  up  —  down  — 
up  —  in  graceful  curves,  with  a  stroke  of  the  wings  for 
each  swell,  to  the  accompaniment  of  the  little  song, — 

8m. 


With  sweep   and   swing  from  crest  to  crest,  the  song 
runs:  — 


CHIPPING    SPARROW. 

SPIZELLA   SOCIALIS. 

THIS  trim  little  bird,  one  of  the  least  of  the  spar- 
rows, is  not  so  great  a  singer  as  some  others  of 
the  family ;  but  none  of  them  equal  him  in  song  devotion. 
At  the  close  of  day  he  may  be  heard  from  the  house- 
top, from  the  ridge-pole  of  the  barn,  from  the  fence  or 
the  grass  stubble.  Dr.  Coues  says  he  has  "  at  times  a 
song  quite  different  from  the  sharp,  monotonous  trill  so 
characteristic  of  spring-time,"  and  without  doubt  he  has ; 
but  the  monotonous  "  trill,"  being  a  succession  of  rapid 
tones  upon  the  same  degree,  can  hardly  be  called  a 
"trill." 


Chip    -    py,       chip  -     py,       chip  -    py,       chip    -    py,     chip  -   py, 


Chip  -   py,      chip  -  py,      chip  -  py,    chip  -  py,    chip  -  py,    chip  -  py. 

To  look  at  these  notes,  it  would  seem  impossible  that 
any  performance  of  them  could  be  made  acceptable  ;  the 
hearing  of  them,  however,  relieved  by  the  delicate  accent 


WOOD  NOTES    WILD.  41 

and  fervor  of  the  singer,  never  fails  to  touch  the  heart 
of  the  listener.  The  chipping  sparrow  sings  at  all  hours, 
sometimes  waking  in  the  dead  of  night  to  perform  his 
staccato  serenade;  but  the  evening  twilight  hour  is  his 
favorite  time.  If  we  have  a  vesper  sparrow,  it  is  he. 

None  of  our  birds  are  more  social  and  confiding. 
These  sparrows  come  for  the  crumbs  about  the  door, 
and  with  little  coaxing  will  light  on  your  hand  for  them ; 
and  if  there  be  vines  over  the  doorway,  you  will  be  quite 
likely  to  find  the  lady's  nest  in  them,  maybe  only  a  few 
inches  above  your  head  as  you  go  in  and  out.  They 
prefer  a  bush  for  their  summer  home,  but  I  have  sev- 
eral times  known  them  to  build  their  beautiful  hair-lined 
nests  in  a  heavy-boughed  spruce,  ten  or  more  feet  from 
the  ground. 


WHITE-THKOATED    SPAEEOW. 

ZONOTKICHIA   ALBICOLLIS. 

1  ^AMILIAR  as  the  song  of  this  bird  is,  few  listeners 
•*•  suspect  that  it  is  sung  by  a  sparrow.  In  an  ex- 
treme northern  town  of  Vermont,  I  often  heard  the  song 
when  a  boy,  but  never  the  name  of  the  singer ;  and  I 
have  rarely  heard  him  named  since.  The  knowing  ones 
used  to  say  the  words  of  the  song  were, — 

"All  day  long  fid-dle-in',  fid-dle-in',  fid-dle-in'." 

The  little  twelve-toned  melody  of  this  sparrow  is  a 
flash  of  inspiration  —  one  of  those  lucky  finds,  such  as 
the  poets  have  —  the  charm  of  which  lies  in  its  rhythm. 

Let  us  look  at  it :  — 


^     r     r     r   r  T   r  r  r  r  r  r  ii 

First  come  three  long  tones  of  equal  length,  forming 
together  one-half  of  the  song  entire ;  then  three  clusters 
of  three  short  tones,  triplets,  each  cluster  being  equal  to 
one  of  the  long  tones,  and  each  of  the  short  tones  being 
equal  to  one  third  of  one  of  the  long  tones.  How  simple 
the  construction  for  so  pleasing  a  performance  I 

The  white-throat  sings  moderately  and  with  exactness  ; 
singing  often,  and  usually  with  several  of  his  fellows, 


WOOD  NOTES   WILD.  43 

each  piping  away  in  a  key  of  his  own.  Heedless  of 
pitch,  striking  in  just  as  it  happens,  this  independent 
little  songster  sometimes  finds  himself  at  the  top  of  his 
voice  and  at  a  height  of  sound  rarely  reached  by  any 
other  bird.  The  whistling  quality  of  the  white-throat's 
voice  and  his  deliberate  method  make  his  song  very  dis- 
tinct and  distinctive.  The  responsive  singing  of  several 
performers  in  the  still  woods  (and  out  of  them  some- 
times), continually  introducing  new  keys,  affords  a 
unique  entertainment. 

The  form  of   the  song  already  given   is  undoubtedly 
the  true  one,  but  I  once  heard  the  following  variation :  — 


Sva. 


When  the  season  is  well  advanced,  the  singers,  seem- 
ingly grown  weary  of  their  song,  begin  to  shorten  it. 
At  first  they  omit  the  last  triplets ;  further  on  they 
drop  the  second  group,  then  the  first  group,  then  the 
third  long  note,  till  finally  only  the  first  two  long  notes 
remain.  There  is  a  touch  of  the  comic  in  this  farewell 
performance,  as  though  the  singer  said, "  There,  you  know 
the  rest." 


FOX-COLORED   SPARROW. 

PASSERELLA   ILIACA. 

"  I  ^HESE  song-loving  sparrows  have  sweet  voices  and  a 
-*•  pleasing  song.  No  sparrow  sings  with  a  better 
quality  of  tone.  They  reach  Massachusetts,  on  their 
journey  north,  generally  by  the  tenth  of  April.  They 
come  in  small  flocks,  tame  birds,  and  partial  to  the 
ground.  They  scratch  among  the  low  bushes,  often  in 
the  fresh  snow,  rising  frequently  a  few  feet  to  sit  and 
sing ;  they  also  sing  upon  the  ground.  They  are  our 
largest  sparrows ;  fine-looking  birds,  with  reddish  backs 
somewhat  like  those  of  the  brown  thrush. 
Song  of  the  fox-colored  sparrow :  — 


CHEWESTK;    TOWHBE   BUNTING; 
GROUND    ROBIN. 

PIPILO   EEYTHEOPHTHALMTTS. 

THE  song  of  this  sprightly,  showy  bird,  as  I  have 
heard  him,  consists  of  one  long,  loud  tone  on  E  or 
D,  followed  by  a  rather  soft  trill  on  the  tonic,  a  sixth 
higher.  The  most  striking  peculiarity  of  the  performance 
at  the  first  hearing  is  that  unless  fortunate  enough  to  see 
as  well  as  hear  the  bird,  one  will  be  sure  there  are  two 
singers,  one  singing  the  long  note  and  the  other  the  trill : 


"This  species  seems  to  have  a  special  dislike  to  the 
sea-coast."  So  says  the  close  observer,  Wilson;  but  I 
have  found  the  chewink  very  much  at  home  at  different 
points  close  to  the  sea.  This  bird,  like  many  others,  can 
extemporize  finely  when  the  spirit  moves  him.  For  sev- 
eral successive  days,  one  season,  a  chewink  gave  me  very 
interesting  exhibitions  of  the  kind.  He  fairly  revelled 
in  the  new  song,  repeating  it  times  without  number. 
Whether  he  stole  it  from  the  first  strain  of  "  Kock  of 
Ages  "  or  it  was  stolen  from  him  or  some  of  his  family, 
is  a  question  yet  to  be  decided. 


46  WOOD  NOTES   WILD. 

The  following  is  an  exact  copy  of  his  variation:  — 

/  8va.  &. 


Not  satisfied  with  this,  after  a  time  he  performed  still 
another  variation  :  — 


fSva. 


Finally  he  became  dissatisfied  with  his  key,  and  "  went 
up":- 

ftoa. 


YELLOW    WAEBLER. 

DENDROICA   AESTIVA. 

THE  yellow  warbler  is  a  representative  character, 
and  taken  all  in  all,  is  the  most  interesting  of  the 
warblers.  He  is  beautiful,  very  active,  and  of  engaging 
manners.  Though  he  may  not  equal  in  brilliancy  of  color 
the  flashing,  blushing  redstart,  he  has  a  charm  of  his  own 
as  he  moves  rapidly  through  the  green  foliage,  singing  his 
lively  song.  If  sometimes  in  the  bright  sunlight  it  is 
almost  too  sharp,  like  the  ringing  of  steel,  it  is  the  best 
of  songs  by  the  warblers.  The  yellow  warblers  are 
numerous,  haunting  the  orchard,  and  the  garden  in  city 
or  country.  They  come  early  in  May  and  spend  the 
summer,  often  raising  two  families.  The  cow-bird  can- 
not impose  on  these  merry  birds  as  safely  as  she  can 
on  some  others  ;  for  the  lady  of  the  house  is  apt  to  build 
a  deck  over  the  hateful  stranger-egg  and  fasten  it  down 
in  the  hold  to  hatch  and  find  its  hatchway  out  as  best 
it  may. 

Like  the  songs  of  all  the  warblers,  the  song  of  the  yel- 
low warbler  is  brief  and  rapid.  Though  so  high,  it  can  be 
heard  many  rods  :  — 


f 

< 


<    p 


BLACK-THROATED    GREEN 
WARBLER. 

DENDROICA   VIRENS. 

THE  richly  clad  black-throats,  restless  and  almost 
always   singing,   are   nearly  as   numerous   as   the 
yellow  warblers.     Their  song  is  shorter,  five  tones,  quite 
as   distinct   and    more    moderately    delivered.     There    is 
something  about  the  little  song  — 

8va. 


E      E      F 


that  inclines  one  to  whistle  it  immediately  on  hearing  it. 
It  seems  to  be  given  as  a  lesson,  and  if  the  whistler  be 
familiar  with  the  old  sea  song,  "Larboard  Watch,"  he 
will  hardly  fail  to  discover  in  — 


"Lar    -    board  watch     a -hoy!" 

another  instance  of  the  similarity  between  bird  me]ody 
and  human  melody. 

These  charming  little  wide-awakes  like  the  pine  woods. 
There  they  nest  and  sing ;  but  they  often  visit  adjoining 
farms,  coming  close  to  the  buildings  in  the  fruit  and 
shade  trees.  Wherever  they  chance  to  be,  there  is 
heard  the  frequent  piping  of  their  happy  little  strain. 


AMERICAN   WAEBLERS. 


SYLVICOUDAE. 


numerous  little  birds  denominated  warblers  are 
•*-  none  of  them  great  singers,  and  their  several  twit- 
terings have  a  strong  family  resemblance.  Dr.  Coues, 
who  has  more  than  thirty  varieties  in  his  list,  well  re- 
marks, "Nearly  all  of  our  'warblers/  in  fact,  are  mis- 
named, if  we  are  to  take  the  term  as  any  indication  of 
proficiency  in  that  kind  of  vocalization  which  we  com- 
monly call  warbling." 


Chestnut-sided  WARBIJBB. 


Maryland  YELLOW-THROAT. 


p  g  NT 


Songs  of  other  WARBLERS. 


8va. 


50 


m 


8va. 


WOOD  NOTES   WILD. 

8va. 


Sva. 


fe    c 


c  e  c 


EEDSTART. 

SETOFHAGA    KUTICILLA. 

RAEE  is  the  bird  in  our  woods  as  dashing  as  the 
redstart.  As  he  runs  rapidly  along  the  limbs 
or  makes  his  short  nights  in  pursuit  of  insects,  he  is 
perpetually  spreading  his  gayly  painted  tail,  shooting 
flashes  of  fire  among  the  green  leaves.  If  proud  of 
his  plumage,  he  seems  equally  proud  of  his  song,  brief 
and  monotonous  as  it  is,  and  borrowed  (perhaps)  from 
his  cousin,  the  yellow  warbler: —  '  " 


1 


CAT-BIKD. 

MIMUS    CAEOLINENSIS. 

THIS  very  common  bird  sings  early  in  the  morning 
and  a  good  part  of  the  day.  He  has  not  a  strong 
voice,  nor  has  he  really  a  tune  of  his  own.  With  some- 
thing of  the  style  of  the  brown  thrush,  he  is  not  his 
equal  in  song.  The  cat-bird  is  generally  considered  a 
mocking-bird.  He  does  make  use  of  the  notes  of  different 
birds,  delivering  them  in  snatchy,  disconnected  fashion; 
and  his  performance,  on  the  whole,  is  very  interesting, 
given,  as  it  is,  in  a  lively  manner,  with  an  occasional  tone 
truly  sweet  and  musical.  Much  of  his  singing,  how- 
ever, is  mere  twitter,  often  little  more  than  a  succession 
of  squeaks,  too  antic  to  be  put  on  paper. 

It  is  easy  to  trace  in  the  cat-bird's  singing  the  notes  of 
the  red-eyed  vireo,  the  brown  thrasher,  the  bluebird,  the 
robin  and  the  yellow-breasted  chat. 


WOOD  NOTES   WILD. 


0 >  b  u   i 


53 


?      i 

E  *-  C  V- 


The  cat-bird  is  very  active  and  demonstrative,  espe- 
cially if  one  approach  the  nest;  which  is  commonly 
found  in  low  places  near  a  brook,  in  some  thicket  of  briars 
or  small  bushes,  or  little  alders,  three  or  four  feet  from 
the  ground.  The  eggs  are  four  or  five  in  number,  and 
blue,  very  similar  to  the  eggs  of  the  robin. 

This  bird  received  his  name  doubtless  from -the  striking 
resemblance  his  common  tone  bears  to  certain  cries  of  the 
cat. 

The  cat-bird  seems  not  to  be  a  general  favorite,  but 
surely  he  is  a  well-shaped  bird,  dressed  with  good  taste, 
too ;  and  he  plays  his  part  well  in  the  every-day  drama  of 
bird  life. 


BROWN  THRUSH;  BROWN  THRASHER. 

HABPOBHYNCHUS    KUFUS. 

THE  song  of  this  largest  and  most  joyous  of  the 
thrushes  exhibits  greater  variety  than  that  of  any 
other  member  of  his  most  musical  family.  Despite  a 
lack  of  quality  in  tone,  he  is  one  of  the  favorites;  his 
fame  is  assured.  In  exuberance  and  peculiarity  of 
performance  he  is  unsurpassed,  unless  it  be  by  the  cat- 
bird. While  prone  to  the  conversational  style,  he  is  ca- 
pable of  splendid  inspiration.  Literary  folk  might  term 
him  the  "Browning"  among  birds.  On  a  fine  morning 
in  June,  when  he  rises  to  the  branch  of  a  wayside 
tree,  or  to  the  top  of  a  bush  at  the  edge  of  the  pasture,  the 
first  eccentric  accent  convinces  us  that  the  spirit  of  song 
has  fast  hold  on  him.  As  the  fervor  increases  his  long 
and  elegant  tail  droops;  all  his  feathers  separate;  his 
whole  plumage  is  lifted,  it  floats,  trembles;  his  head  is 
raised  and  his  bill  wide  open :  there  is  no  mistake,  it  is 
the  power  of  the  god.  No  pen  can  report  him  now ;  we 
must  wait  till  the  frenzy  passes.  Then  we  may  catch 
such  fragments  as  these :  — 

Lively. 


WOOD  NOTES   WILD. 


55 


•  .  c  . 

f 

>• 

—  =1  — 

Like  other  thrushes  and  the  chewink,  the  brown  thrush 
is  much  on  the  ground.  He  is  rather  shy,  —  with  all  his 
exuberance  he  sings  as  if  he  were  keeping  something 
back,  —  but  he  frequently  shows  himself  in  short  flights 
among  the  bushes  and  when  crossing  the  road,  always 
flying  low. 


WOOD   THRUSH;    SONG   THKUSH. 

TTJRDUS    MUSTELINTJS. 


THIS  is  probably  the  most  popular  singer  of  all  the 
thrushes.  He  may  be  heard  at  any  hour  of  the 
day  during  the  mating  and  nesting  season,  but  his  best 
performances  are  at  morning  and  evening.  While  his 
melodies  are  not  so  varied  as  those  of  the  brown  or 
those  of  the  hermit  thrush,  they  are  exquisite,  the 
quality  of  tone  being  indescribably  beautiful  and  fasci- 
nating. Chancing  to  hear  him  in  the  edge  of  the 
woods  at  twilight  as  he  sings, 


in  a  moment  one  is  oblivious  to  all  else,  and  ready  to 
believe  that  the  little  song  is  not  of  earth,  but  a  wander- 
ing strain  from  the  skies.  How  is  it  that  a  bird  has  that 
inimitable  voice?  Whence  his  skill  in  the  use  of  it? 
Whence  the  inspiration  that,  with  the  utmost  refinement, 
selects  and  arranges  the  tones  in  this  scrap  of  divine 
melody  ?  Hark ! 


i   JAM.  L"i        m         h 

•  — 

T                                         '          9      P 
h  r    B?  —  c  —  •>  —  V.  L  1  — 

•r  —  r 

WOOD  NOTES   WILD. 


57 


It  is  a  new  key,  and  the  rapture  is  both  enhanced  and 
prolonged. 


10  o'clock  A.  M. 


TAWNY    THRUSH;    WILSON'S    THRUSH; 
VEERY. 

TTJEDUS    FTJSCESCENS. 

NOTWITHSTANDING  Dr.  Coues's  silence,  and 
Wilson's  statement  that  this  bird  has  "  no  song, 
but  a  sharp  chuck,"  the  tawny  thrush  is  a  charming 
singer.  His  little  song  is  very  beautiful,  especially  at 
evening.  I  think  we  have  no  bird  that  sings  so  far  into 
the  dark;  hence  his  popular  title  of  the  "American 
nightingale."  It  is  particularly  difficult  to  describe  his 
quality  of  tone.  An  appreciative  woman  perhaps  nearest 
indicates  its  metallic  charm  when  she  writes,  "It  is  a 
spiral,  tremulous,  silver  thread  of  music."  There  are 
eight  tones  in  the  song,  the  last  two  being  on  the  same 
pitch  as  the  first  two.  The  beginning  is  very  unusual, 
the  first  tone  being  on  the  second  degree  of  the  scale; 
and  there  is  no  breaking  of  the  delicate  "  silver  thread " 
from  beginning  to  end :  — 


This  succession  of  sounds,  so  simple  to  the  eye,  be- 
comes, as  it  is  performed,  quite  intricate  to  the  ear ;  some- 
thing like  the  sweep  of  an  accordion  through  the  air. 
The  first  half  of  the  song  is  deliberate ;  the  latter  half  is 
slightly  hurried. 


HERMIT  THEUSH. 

TURDUS   PALLASI. 

IN  the  case  of  the  thrushes,  as  in  other  cases,  it  is  not 
easy  to  find  out  from  the  books  "which  is  which." 
There  is  a  general  resemblance  in  their  voices,  in  their 
color,  in  their  nests  and  eggs.  Wilson  says  of  this  one, 
"  In  both  seasons  it  is  mute,  having  only,  in  spring,  an  oc- 
casional squeak  like  that  of  a  young,  stray  chicken." 
Dr.  Coues  says,  "  He  is  an  eminent  vocalist."  Mr.  Flagg 
holds  a  similar  opinion.  After  no  little  research  in  the 
books  and  in  the  woods,  I  am  obliged  to  record  him  not 
only  as  the  greatest  singer  among  the  thrushes,  but  as 
the  greatest  singing-bird  of  New  England.  The  brown 
thrush,  or  "thrasher,"  the  cat-bird,  and  the  bobolink 
display  a  wider  variety  of  songs ;  the  bobolink  especially, 
who  sings  a  long,  snatchy  song,  in  a  rollicking  style  alto- 
gether foreign  to  that  of  the  hermit  thrush.  He  never 
indulges  in  mere  merriment,  nor  is  his  music  sad;  it  is 
clear,  ringing,  spiritual,  full  of  sublimity.  The  wood- 
thrush  does  not  excel  his  hermit  cousin  in  sweetness  of 
voice,  while  he  by  no  means  equals  him  in  spirit  and 
compass.  The  hermit,  after  striking  his  first  low,  long, 
and  firm  tone,  startling  the  listener  with  an  electric  thrill, 
bounds  upwards  by  thirds,  fourths,  and  fifths,  and  some- 


60 


WOOD  NOTES    WILD. 


times  a  whole  octave,  gurgling  out  his  triplets  with  every 
upward  movement.  Occasionally,  on  reaching  the  height, 
the  song  bursts  like  a  rocket,  and  the  air  is  full  of  silver 
tones.  A  second  flight,  and  the  key  changes  with  a  fresh, 
wild,  and  enchanting  effect.  The  hermit's  constant  and 
apparently  indiscriminate  modulations  or  changes  of  tonic 
lend  a  leading  charm  to  his  performances.  Start  from 
what  point  he  may,  it  always  proves  the  right  one. 
When  he  moves  off  with  — 


and  then,  returning,  steps  up  a  degree  and  follows  it  with 
a  similar  strain,  — 


it  is  like  listening  to  the  opening  of  a  grand  overture. 
Does  one  attempt  to  steal  the  enchanter's  notes,  he  is 
anticipated,  and  finds  himself  stolen,  heart  and  all  the 
senses.  But  it  is  folly  to  attempt  a  description  of  the 
music  of  the  thrushes,  of  the  skill  and  beauty  of  their 
styles  of  singing,  and  all  as  vain  to  try  to  describe 
their  matchless  voices. 


WOOD  NOTES   WILD. 


61 


OVEN-BIRD;  GOLDEN-CROWNED 
ACCENTOR. 

SEIUBTJS   AUROCAPILLTJS. 

HPHE  popular  name  oven-bird,  perhaps  as  appropriate 
A  as  any,  is  derived,  doubtless,  from  the  architecture 
of  the  nest,  which  is  built  on  the  ground,  among  old 
leaves,  and  roofed  over  like  an  oven,  with  a  door  on  one 
side.  It  is  so  ingeniously  constructed  that  no  eye,  not 
even  the  cow-bird's,  is  likely  to  discover  it,  unless  it  be  by 
seeing  the  bird  approach  or  leave  it.  The  oven-bird  does 
not  fly  from  the  nest,  but  runs  from  it  with  a  most 
peculiar,  light,  and  graceful  step. 

Wilson  says,  "The  oven-bird  has  no  song;  but  a 
shrill,  energetic  twitter."  Other  writers  pronounce  him 
a  great  singer;  Dr.  Coues  declaring  him  the  equal  of 
the  "  Louisiana  Thrush  itself."  An  experienced  observer 
assures  me  that  he  has  never  heard  anything  from 
the  oven-birds  but  the  one  brief  snatch  of  a  song 
which  they  are  forever  repeating,  and  such  has  been 
my  own  experience;  still,  I  do  not  question  the  tes- 
timony of  those  who  claim  to  have  heard  fine  songs 
from  them. 

I  can  hardly  recall  the  notes  of  any  bird  that  I  have 


WOOD  NOTES   WILD.  63 

heard  oftener,  in  the  grass  and  bushes,  than  the  following, 
which  are  surely  sung  by  the  oven-bird :  — 

Sva.  Ores      -      -      -      cen  do. 

- 


Though  not  a  great  song,  such  is  the  zeal  in  delivery, 
it  keeps  the  woods  ringing. 


WOOD-PEWEE. 

CONTOPUS   VTRENS. 

THE  wood-pewee's  few  notes,  so  peculiar,  so  solemn,  so 
long,  so  slow  and  gliding  in  movement,  and  so  de- 
vout withal,  distinguish  its  song  sharply  from  that  of  all 
other  birds,  except,  perhaps,  the  song  of  the  titmouse.  The 
effect  of  the  pewee's  singing  is  decidedly  religious,  remind- 
ing one  of  the  worship  of  the  "  Free-willers,"  who,  long 
ago,  sang  their  hymns  and  half  sang  their  prayers  and 
exhortations  on  the  shores  of  Lake  Winipiseogee.  The 
song  closes  with  such  unction  that  the  scoffer  is  com- 
pelled to  join  in  the  final  Amen :  — 


Slow. 


I— FTP  U       m  .   — "»•-    -  a .    ~**r     -  f  .    ~-^    „  ,  II 

lyift  r   i •  (  •>  r   f  f  •"  r   \  r  •»  t  ^i 

The  portamento  is  used  in  this  song  with  wonderful 
skill  and  power. 

The  wood-pewee  is  a  tame  bird,  yet  active  and  coura- 
geous. He  darts  and  swoops  through  the  air,  frequently 
snapping  up  insects  on  his  course.  As  he  swiftly  passes, 
you  think  you  will  not  see  him  again ;  but  he  returns, 
and,  alighting  not  far  from  the  perch  that  he  left,  takes 
up  the  sacred  strain.  Does  some  strange  bird  happen 
near  at  the  moment,  the  devotions  are  interrupted ;  the 


WOOD  NOTES   WILD.  65 

intruder  is  chased  away  in  the  most  undevout  manner. 
This  done,  religious  service  is  resumed  with  increased 
fervor.  If  it  be  the  second  or  third  week  in  June,  his 
mate  may  be  sitting  near  by,  on  four  or  five  white  eggs,  or 
the  same  number  of  "  Free- wilier  "  fledglings,  which  the 
pious  father  feels  it  his  first  duty  to  protect. 

Mr.  Trowbridge  has  some  happy  lines  to  this  little  fly- 
catcher :  — 

"  To  trace  it  in  its  green  retreat 
I  sought  among  the  boughs  in  vain ; 
And  followed  still  the  wandering  strain, 
So  melancholy  and  so  sweet 
The  dim-eyed  violets  yearned  with  pain. 
'T  was  now  a  sorrow  in  the  air, 
Some  nymph's  immortalized  despair 
Haunting  the  woods  and  waterfalls ; 
And  now  at  long,  sad  intervals, 
Sitting  unseen  in  dusky  shade, 
His  plaintive  pipe  some  fairy  played 
With  long-drawn  cadence  thin  and  clear, — 
Pewee!  pewee!  pewee  1" 


Slow 


Pe- wee  peer!  Pe-  wee  peer!  Pe- wee  peer!  Pe-wee! 


THE  NIGHT-HAWK. 

CHORDEILES   VTRGINIANUS. 

night-hawk  has  nothing  of  the  nature  or  of 
-••  the  habits  of  the  hawk  tribe,  though,  on  the  wing, 
he  may  resemble  some  of  the  smaller  hawks.  At  even- 
ing twilight,  or  a  little  before  or  after,  in  search  of  flies 
and  various  insects  abounding  at  that  hour,  constantly 
tacking  this  way  and  that,  as  the  game  attracts,  his  low 
ground  flight  is  swift  and  angular.  His  pleasure  flights 
are  of  a  wholly  different  kind,  novel  performances,  unlike 
those  of  any  other  bird.  He  then  flies  more  moderately, 
frequently  crying  "maing"  and,  at  the  moment  of  utter- 
ance, rising,  by  two  or  three  quick  strokes  of  the  wings, 
several  feet  straight  upward.  Eepeated  ascents  finally  lift 
him  high  in  air ;  Wilson  says,  "  sixty  or  eighty  feet."  I 
am  sure  I  have  many  times  seen  him  more  than  two  hun- 
dred feet  overhead  when  he  made  his  plunge.  This 
height  attained,  he  suddenly  turns  downward,  almost 
perpendicularly  at  first,  with  fixed  wings  and  ever  increas- 
ing speed  till  near  the  ground ;  then  with  a  graceful  bend 
or  swoop  in  the  form  of  a  great  horse-shoe,  he  shoots 
upward  again,  mounting  to  plunge  as  before.  When  the 
speed  of  his  swoop  is  greatest,  he  produces  a  loud,  boom- 
ing sound;  and  this  is  his  music. 


WOOD  NOTES   WILD.  67 

It  is  generally  believed  that  the  booming  is  made  with 
the  mouth,  but  careful  investigation  has  convinced  me 
that  the  mouth  has  nothing  to  do  with  it.  This  peculiar 
sound  is  produced  by  the  pointed  wings,  stretched  down 
and  firmly  set,  cutting  the  air.  Perhaps  it  is  true  that 
only  the  males  indulge  in  this  singular  exercise. 

Though  the  night-hawk  and  the  whippoorwill  are  often 
taken  for  one  and  the  same  bird,  the  night-hawk  never 
sings  "whippoorwill,"  nor  does  the  whippoorwill  ever 
"boom."  The  whippoorwill  has  bristles  on  each  side  of 
the  mouth,  and  a  rounded  tail,  while  the  night-hawk  has 
a  forked  tail  and  no  bristles,  and  the  plumage  is  dif- 
ferently marked.  Both  have  the  singular  habit  of  sitting 
lengthwise  of  a  limb. 


WHIPPOOEWILL. 

ANTBOSTOMUS   VOCIFEKUS. 

NO  bird  in  New  England  is  more  readily  known  by 
his  song  than  is  the  whippoorwilL  In  the  cour- 
ageous repetition  of  his  name  he  accents  the  first  and  last 
syllables,  the  stronger  accent  falling  on  the  last ;  always 
measuring  his  song  with  the  same  rhythm,  while  very 
considerably  varying  the  melody  —  which  latter  fact  is 
discovered  only  by  most  careful  attention.  Plain,  simple, 
and  stereotyped  as  his  song  appears,  marked  variations 
are  introduced  in  the  course  of  it.  The  whippoorwill 
uses  nearly  all  the  intervals  in  the  natural  scale,  even 
the  octave.  I  have  never  detected  a  chromatic  tone. 
Perhaps  the  favorite  song  form  is  this:  — 


An  eccentric  part  of  the  whippoorwilTs  musical  per- 
formance is  the  introduction  of  a  "cluck"  immediately 
after  each  "whippoorwill;*'  so  that  the  song  is  a  regular, 
unbroken,  rhythmical  chain  from  beginning  to  end.  One 
must  be  near  the  singer  to  hear  the  "  cluck ; "  otherwise 
he  will  mark  a  rest  in  its  place. 


WOOD  NOTES   WILD.  69 

This  bird  does  not  stand  erect  with  head  up,  like  the 
robin,  when  he  sings,  but  stoops  slightly,  puts  out  the 
wings  a  little  and  keeps  them  in  a  rapid  tremor  through- 
out the  song.  Wilson  decided  that  it  requires  a  sec- 
ond of  time  for  the  delivery  of  each  "  whippoorwill." 
"  When  two  or  more  males  meet,"  he  adds,  "  their  whip- 
poorwill altercations  become  much  more  rapid  and  inces- 
sant, as  if  each  were  straining  to  overpower  or  silence  the 
other."  These  altercations  are  sometimes  very  amusing. 
Three  whippoorwills,  two  males  and  a  female,  indulged  in 
them  for  several  evenings,  one  season,  in  my  garden. 
They  came  just  at  dark,  and  very  soon  a  spirited  contest 
began.  Frequently  they  flew  directly  upward,  one  at  a 
time.  Occasionally  one  flew  down  into  the  path  near  me, 
put  out  his  wings,  opened  his  big  mouth  and  hissed  like  a 
goose  disturbed  in  the  dark.  But  the  most  peculiar,  the 
astonishing,  feature  of  the  contention  was  the  finale. 
Toward  the  close  of  the  trial  of  speed  and  power,  the  un- 
wieldy name  was  dropped,  and  they  rattled  on  freely 
with  the  same  rhythm  that  the  name  would  have  re- 
quired, alternating  in  their  rushing  triplets,  going  faster 
and  faster,  louder  and  louder  to  the  end. 


Crescendo  et  accelerando 

Sva.  1st  Voice.      2cl  Voice. 


Whip  -  poor  -  will,  Whip  -  poor  -  will. 

*lst.          2d.          1st.          2d.         1st.          2d.          1st. 


70  WOOD  NOTES    WILD. 

Various  melodic  forms :  — 


Whip  -  poor-will  (clock)  whip  -  poor-will  (clock)  whip-poor-will  (cluck.) 


P         i    aL^       ^=== 


J 

S-  >•  Sfc  =». 

A'v  St.   *  P  6  -  J  j?  »  i»  C  •  J P  *  r  g  ,  Jr   »  r  ^=n 

(fh  ^t  farJ^  r^c  fcf b  -1  -t  far  ^  -T  fcj  ^ 


LC 


w 

«r 


BALTIMOKE  OEIOLE. 

ICTERUS   BALTIMORE. 

OF  the  Baltimore  oriole,  every  whit  American,  it  is 
difficult  to  speak  without  seeming  extravagance. 
He  is  the  most  beautiful  of  our  spring  visitors,  has  a 
rich  and  powerful  voice,  the  rarest  skill  in  nest-building, 
and  is  among  the  happiest,  most  jubilant  of  birds.  The 
male  generally  arrives  here  a  few  days  in  advance  of  the 
female  —  the  first  week  in  May;  though  last  spring 
(1884)  I  did  not  see  the  oriole  till  early  on  the  morning 
of  the  15th.  He  had  just  arrived,  and  determined  to 
make  up  for  lost  time,  he  set  the  whole  neighborhood 
ringing :  — 


Hardly  a  songster,  the  oriole  is  rather  a  tuneful  caller, 
musical  shouter ;  nevertheless,  as  will  appear,  he  some- 


72  WOOD  NOTES   WILD. 

times  vents  his  high  spirits  in  ingenious  variations  indic- 
ative of  superior  possibilities.  Years  ago  I  heard,  from 
a  large,  tall  elm  standing  in  an  open  field,  a  strain  the 
beauty  of  which  so  struck  me  that  it  is  often  wafted 
through  my  mind  to  this  day.  It  was  the  oriole's  voice, 
but  could  it  be  his  song  ?  — 

-f         #r    T          "T    fri*  •     -     m     _     ™ 

It  proved  to  be,  and  it  became  with  me  a  favorite  argu- 
ment for  the  old  form  of  the  minor  scale  —  the  seventh 
sharp  ascending,  natural  descending. 

But  a  still  greater  deviation  from  the  usual  vocal  de- 
livery of  orioles  was  noticed  in  Dorset,  Vermont,  on  the 
22d  of  May,  1884,  the  new  song  continuing  through  the 
season.  A  remarkable  feature  of  the  performance  was 
the  distinct  utterance  of  words  as  plainly  formed  as  the 
whippoorwill's  name  when  he  "  tells  "  it  "  to  all  the  hills." 

b   =r    .    =r    _       "*>      - 

>      l»      C      I*      E      i      I         I*      f      E     r      r      C 
v      v      v      v      ^    -i         \t  — %      v      fr      fr      b 

Cur  -  ly,     cur  -  ly,  Hey!    Chick  -  er  -  way,  chick  -  er  -  way, 


kah,    kue.  Hey!       Chick  -  er  -  way,  chick  -  er  -  way,     chew. 


While  listening  to  this  song  I  could  not  help  thinking 
that  the  bird  had  been  trained.  He  invariably  attacked 
the  forte  "  Hey ! "  in  the  climax,  as  if  he  had  a  full 


WOOD  NOTES  WILD.  73 

sense  of  the  exclamation.  We  hoped  the  wandering 
minstrel  would  summer  in  our  grove  of  maples,  but 
he  passed  on,  visiting  the  neighbors  as  he  went,  finally 
taking  quarters  less  than  a  third  of  a  mile  away.  Nearly 
every  day  during  the  season,  however,  we  were  greeted 
with  at  least  one  vigorous  "Hey!  chick-er-way,  chick- 
er-way,  chew!" 

The  oriole,  when  about  to  fly,  gives  a  succession  of 
brisk,  monotonous  notes,  much  like  those  of  the  king- 
fisher :  — 


f  a 


(Mi    C    6    E    C    C    Ml 


The  first  notes  heard  from  him  in  Dorset,  one  spring, 
were  :  — 


Long  after  the  foregoing  sketch  was  written,  having 
decided  meanwhile  that  my  study  of  the  oriole  was  fin- 
ished, one  bright  summer  morning  in  central  New  Hamp- 
shire a  bird  dashed  into  a  maple  directly  overhead  and 
sang :  — 

/Allegro. 


It  was  an  oriole. 


SCAELET  TANAGEE. 

PYRANGA  RUBRA. 

THE  tanager,  the  Baltimore  oriole's  only  rival  in 
beauty,  is  the  less  active,  the  less  vigorous  charmer 
of  the  two,  and  has  less  vocal  power;  but  it  would  be 
difficult  to  imagine  a  more  pleasing  and  delicate  exhibi- 
tion of  a  bird  to  both  eye  and  ear  than  that  presented  by 
this  singer,  in  scarlet  and  black,  as  he  stands  on  the 
limb  of  some  tall  tree  in  the  early  sun,  shining,  and 
singing,  high  above  the  earth,  his  brief,  plaintive,  morn- 
ing song.  The  tanager's  is  an  unobtrusive  song,  while  the 
percussive,  ringing  tones  of  the  oriole  compel  attention. 
The  tanager  can  sing  in  the  forest  with  only  his  fellow- 
birds  for  audience ;  the  oriole  must  be  out,  near  the  earth, 
among  men,  to  be  seen  and  heard  of  them. 

For  three  successive  years  I  found  the  tanagers  in  three 
different  States,  but  not  a  note  from  one  of  them.  In  the 
spring  of  1888,  however,  a  beautiful  singer  greeted  me, 
one  summer  morning,  from  the  top  of  a  tall  oak  near  the 
house.  He  paid  frequent  visits  to  the  same  tree-top  dur- 
ing the  entire  season,  and  generally  sang  the  same  song, 
beginning  and  ending  with  the  same  tones :  — 


WOOD  NOTES   WILD. 
Still,  like  other  birds,  he  had  his  variations :  — 

frresTn-  isftf&t  iAi'ttf,t£i 


75 


1 


These  were  all  June  songs,  the  last  two  being  sung  late 
in  the  afternoon. 

Though  the  singer's  home  was  in  the  near  woods,  we 
did  not  discover  the  nest  of  his  mate.  Erelong  there 
came  a  time  of  silence,  and  an  absence  of  flaming  plu- 
mage; and  finally,  a  family  of  tanagers,  undoubtedly 
ours,  —  male  and  female  and  three  unfinished  young 
tanagers  of  a  neutral  olive  tint,  —  were  about  our 
grounds  in  the  last  days  of  August,  evidently  prepar- 
ing to  leave  for  their  home  in  the  tropics.  The 
husband  and  father  had  doffed  both  his  "singing-robe" 
and  his  garment  of  scarlet,  and  wore  in  silence  a 
travelling-dress  of  mixed  pea-green  and  willow-yellow. 
More  desirous  than  ever  to  avoid  notice,  there  was 
about  him  a  most  captivating  air  of  quietness  and 
modesty. 


KOSE-BEEASTED  GROSBEAK. 

GONIAPHEA   LUDOVICIANA. 

I  HAVE  had  several  interviews  with  this  bird  in  dif- 
ferent states,  but  never  when  prepared  to  take  more 
than  his  key-note ;  so  I  give  his  song  mostly  from  mem- 
ory,  feeling  confident,  however,  of  the  accuracy  of  the 
main  features  and  the  spirit  of  it. 

The  black  and  white  dress  of  the  grosbeak,  his  breast 
adorned  with  a  brilliant  rose  star,  instantly  attracts  the 
eye ;  and  his  loud,  ringing  song  as  surely  arrests  the  ear. 
He  sings  rapidly  and  energetically,  as  if  in  a  hurry  to  be 
through  and  off.  No  bird  sings  with  more  ardor.  While 
on  paper  his  song  resembles  the  robin's,  and  the  key  of 
E  flat  major  and  its  relative  minor  are  common  to  both, 
the  voice  and  delivery  are  very  unlike  the  robin's. 

Loud  and  rapid. 


WOOD  NOTES    WILD.  77 

I  am  told  that  this  bird  has  also  a  very  musical  whis- 
tling call. 

I  found  the  grosbeaks  in  Belknap  County,  New  Hamp- 
shire, in  June,  1886,  and  in  St.  Lawrence  County,  New 
York,  in  June,  1887. 

In  their  fall  migrations  they  go  in  flocks,  occasionally 
calling  upon  the  farmers  for  food,  appearing  as  tame  and 
as  much  at  home  as  if  they  had  been  raised  by  them. 
Flocks  have  passed  through  northern  New  Hampshire  on 
their  journey  South  in  December,  paying  leisurely  visits 
to  the  cider  mills  for  the  apple-seeds  in  the  cast-off  pum- 
ice, apparently  very  little  concerned  about  the  cold. 


BED-EYED  VIEEO. 

VIREO    OLIVACEUS. 

THIS  lively,  tireless  singer,  running  rapidly  after 
insects  in  the  tops  of  the  forest  trees,  singing  as 
he  goes,  is  heard  more  hours  in  a  day  and  more  days  in 
the  season  than  any  other  bird.  There  is  no  difficulty 
in  distinguishing  him,  the  bird  so  easy  to  hear  and  so 
hard  to  see.  The  clear,  high  tones  of  his  rich  voice  are 
a  constant  repetition  of  a  few  triplets,  but  so  ingeniously 
arranged  as  not  to  become  wearisome:  — 


This  illustration,  containing  the  substance  of  the  red- 
eyed  vireo's  song,  has  much  in  common  with  the  music 
of  other  birds.  The  nest  is  after  the  fashion  of  the 
oriole's,  hanging,  as  I  have  found  it,  beneath  the  fork 
of  small  beech  limbs,  five  or  six  feet  from  the  ground. 
It  is  a  nice  little  pocket,  as  the  cow-bird  well  knows. 


YELLOW-BKEASTED  CHAT. 

ICTEBIA    VIBIDIS. 

AS  one  approaches  the  haunts  of  the  yellow-breasted 
chat,  the  old  rule  for  children  is  reversed, —  he  is 
everywhere  heard,  nowhere  seen.  Seek  him  ever  so  slyly 
where  the  ear  has  just  detected  him,  instantly  you  hear 
him  elsewhere ;  and  this  with  no  sign  of  a  flight.  The 
chat  revels  in  eccentricities.  Some  tones  of  his  loud 
voice  are  musical,  others  are  harsh ;  and  he  delights  in 
uttering  the  two  kinds  «in  the  same  breath,  occasionally 
slipping  in  the  notes  of  other  birds  and,  on  some  au- 
thorities, imitating  those  of  quadrupeds.  I  have  discov- 
ered in  his  medleys  snatches  from  the  robin,  cat-bird, 
oriole,  kingfisher,  and  brown  thrasher.  Wilson  refers  to 
his  "great  variety  of  odd  and  uncouth  monosyllables/' 
I  have  detected  three  such,  "  char,"  "  quirp,"  and  "  whir ; " 
and  they  were  given  with  distinctness. 

The  male  birds,  generally  preceding  the  females  in  their 
migrations,  locate  and  at  once  begin  a  series  of  vocal 
and  gymnastic  exercises.  A  marked  example  of  these 
performances  is  a  jerky  flight  straight  upward  perhaps 
fifty  feet,  and  a  descent  in  the  same  fussy  fashion.  The 
favorite  time  is  just  before  dusk ;  but  if  there  be  a  moon, 
a  carousal  of  some  sort  goes  on  all  night,  —  the  evident 


80 


WOOD  NOTES   WILD. 


intention  being  to  let  no  migrating  lady-chat  pass  with- 
out a  hearty  invitation  to  cease  her  wandering  and  to 
accept  a  husband  and  a  home. 

After  all,  the  chat  can  hardly  be  said  to  have  a  song. 
The  longest  strain  that  I  have  heard  from  him  is  with- 
out melody,  closely  resembling  the  rhythmic  movement 
of  the  yellow-billed  cuckoo's  effort,  but  wholly  unlike  it 
in  quality  of  tone.  He  will  burst  out  with  loud,  rapid 
tones,  then  suddenly  retard  and  diminish  to  the  close: 


Kit.  &  dim. 


t  it  :  tt  ll  it  t  t  t  t  it  t 


I  have  heard  this  strain  many  times  in  the  course  of 
an  hour,  and  am  satisfied  that  it  has  no  one  pitch  or  key. 
The  following  are  the  principal  •  notes  of  this  chat,  but 
it  is  not  to  be  understood  that  they  always  come  in  like 
order  :  — 


L    -1  r  r  r      r  r  r  r  -1 

u-»         |j    E    1»        UJUJ 


r 


^ 


Eit.  &  dim. 

g  g  C  C 


£3 


s 


Quirp,  quirp. 


(3) 


WOOD  NOTES   WILD. 


Quirp, 

/ 


charr,       charr, 
Rit.&dim. 


Chart,       charr,        charr. 


Kit.  &  dim. 


81 


Whirr,       whirr,          whirr. 


BOBOLINK. 

DOLICHONYX    OBYZTVORTTS, 

THE  mere  mention  of  his  name  incites  merriment. 
Bobolink  is  the  embodiment  of  frolic  song,  the 
one  inimitable  operatic  singer  of  the  feathered  stage. 
Though  the  oriole  has  a  stronger  and  more  commanding 
voice,  and  the  thrushes  far  surpass  him  in  deep,  pure  and 
soul-stirring  tones,  he  has  no  rival;  even  the  mocking- 
bird is  dumb  in  his  presence.  In  the  midst  of  his 
rollicking  song  he  falls  with  bewitching  effect  into  a 
ventriloquous  strain,  subdued,  as  if  his  head  were  under 
his  wing ;  but  soon  the  first  force  returns  with  a  swell, 
and  he  shoots  up  into  the  air  from  the  slender  twig  upon 
which  he  has  been  singing  and  swinging  in  the  wind, 
plying  just  the  tips  of  his  wings  to  paddle  himself  along 
in  his  reckless  hilarity,  twisting  his  head  this  way  and 
that,  increasing  in  ecstasy  till  he  and  his  song  drop 
together  to  the  ground. 

During  his  short  but  glorious  reign  bobolink  takes  the 
open  meadow,  the  broad  sunlight  all  day  long.  When 
he  would  sing  his  best,  he  invariably  opens  with  a  few 
tentative  notes,  softly  and  modestly  given,  as  much  as  to 
say,  "  Eeally,  I  fear  I  'm  not  quite  in  the  mood  to-day." 
It  is  a  musical  gurgling :  — 


WOOD  NOTES   WILD. 


83 


PI  -  leu,        pi  -  le  -  ah. 


Then  the  rapturous  song  begins,  and  a  gradual  cres- 
cendo continues  to  the  end.  A  few  of  the  first  notes  of 
the  song  proper  are, — 


lifr  f  .f  t-U  ULfc 

=$  £  f  

\f  

His  tonic  is  F  major  or  D  minor,  and  he  holds  to  it,  his 
marvellous  variations  being  restricted  to  the  compass  of 
an  octave,  and  the  most  of  his  long  song  to  the  interval 
of  a  sixth.  A  long  song  and  a  strong  song  it  is,  but 
though  the  performer  foregoes  the  rests  common  among 
other  singers,  like  the  jeweller  with  his  blow-pipe,  he 
never  gets  out  of  breath.  We  must  wait  for  some  in- 
terpreter with  the  sound-catching  skill  of  a  Blind  Tom 
and  the  phonograph  combined,  before  we  may  hope  to 
fasten  the  kinks  and  twists  of  this  live  music-box. 

Perhaps  we  have  no  more  interesting,  more  charming, 
summer  guest.  When  Nature  clothes  the  fields  with 
grass  and  flowers,  he  throws  aside  his  common  brown 
wear  for  new  plumage,  gay  as  it  is  unique.  This  striking 
change  is  a  new  birth ;  he  neither  looks,  acts,  sings,  nor 
flies  as  he  did  before,  nor  could  you  guess  him  out.  In 


84  WOOD  NOTES   WILD. 

both  heart  and  feather  he  is  brightness  itself.  Most  birds 
are  dark  above  and  light  below;  this  bird,  in  the  new 
birth,  takes  the  exact  reverse.  His  breast  and  lower 
parts  are  black,  his  back,  neck,  and  crown  white,  shaded 
with  yellow  seams.  He  reaches  New  England  about  the 
middle  of  May,  with  his  plumage  perfect  and  his  song 
come  to  fulness. 


INDIGO-BIRD. 

CYANOSPIZA   CYANEA. 

I  HAD  very  little  acquaintance  with  this  bird,  and 
knew  nothing  of  his  singing,  till  I  sought  him  for 
study  in  a  sunny  nook  near  the  entrance  of  the  beautiful 
cemetery  at  Lynn.  There  a  pair  spent  the  season,  giving 
me  frequent  opportunities  to  listen  to  the  singer.  His 
song  was  brief,  plain,  and  without  variation,  and  I  sup- 
posed it  to  be  the  family  song;  but  to  my  surprise, 
though  I  have  heard  indigo-birds  sing  many  times  since, 
not  one  of  them  sang  that  first  song,  the  only  one  I 
have  been  able  to  copy. 
The  exact  tones  were,  — 

Sva. 


At  first  the  tonic  was  not  quite  distinct,  but  after  sev- 
eral performances,  I  caught  this :  — 


The  conclusion  then  was  that  the  key  was  F.  In  the 
repetitions  the  last  two  tones  were  added  about  one  time 
in  six,  —  just  often  enough  to  keep  in  mind  the  true 


86  WOOD  NOTES    WILD. 

key,  which  by  the  constant  use  of  sharp  four  might  be 
lost  sight  of. 

The  form,  then,  was  as  follows :  — 


g    E    " 

This  little  visitor  sang  frequently  and  earnestly ;  with 
most  fervor  in  the  hot  noon-day  sun,  when  the  birds  gen- 
erally were  silent. 


BLACK-BILLED  CUCKOO. 

COCCYGUS   ERYTHROPHTHALMUS. 

IT  is  the  black-billed  cuckoo  whose  song,  with  very  lit- 
tle merit,  has  become  famous.  It  must  be  the  low 
pitch,  the  solemn  manner  of  delivery,  and  the  quality  of 
tone  that  have  attracted  the  attention  of  the  writers ;  for 
there  is  little  variety  in  the  rhythm  and  the  least  possible 
in  the  melody.  The  rather  doleful,  straightforward  rep- 
etition of  the  singer's  name  is  not  heard  every  day ;  the 
cuckoo,  too,  has  his  moods. 


i  
Cuck  - 

3  — 

00, 

—  i  
cuck 

0  

-    00, 

_J  g  J  J  J  
cuck  -    oo,        coo, 

1  —  9$ 

Cuck   - 

00, 

cuck 

-  oo, 

coo,             cuck  -    oo,       coo, 

gp 

•  
Cuck  - 

—  J— 

00, 

—  <t— 
cuck 

J— 

-      00, 

£  3  J_  J  1] 
coo,                  cuck    -    oo. 

I  have  heard  this  bird  nearly  every  summer  of  my  life, 
and  never  any  departure  from  the  old,  monotonous  strain 
until  recently  (1888.)  Early  one  June  morning,  sultry 
and  warm,  a  bird  was  exercising  his  voice  in  a  manner 


88  WOOD  NOTES   WILD. 

that  set  me  on  the  alert ;  it  was  the  voice  of  a  cuckoo,  but 
not  the  cuckoo's  song :  — 

E$$f==^=     r.      J         rt     J         n     J=     r     J     II 

iflr1*  ,r  ^    j  j    /•*    /  w    ,r^ii 

At  first  thought,  it  was  some  bird  that  had  practised 
under  a  cuckoo  master.  It  was  an  anxious  moment,  but 
presently  all  was  settled :  — 


< 


Cuck  -  oo, 


Cuck  -  oo,  cuck  -  oo,  cuck  -  oo. 

The  instant  I  heard  "cuckoo,"  more  especially  the 
second  one,  giving  the  interval  of  a  fourth,  I  experienced 
a  thrill  of  satisfaction  such  as  no  similar  discovery  had 
afforded.  Other  ears,  sharper  than  mine,  had  heard  all, 
unknown  to  me;  and  there  was  great  rejoicing,  —  the 
cuckoo  was  learning  to  sing. 


YELLOW-BILLED  CUCKOO. 

COCCYGUS   AMERICANUS. 

THE  yellow-billed  cuckoo,  though  he  tries  hard  to 
make  a  showing  of  vocal  talent,  succeeds  only  in 
producing  a  slovenly,  guttural  blubbering,  with  barely 
tone  enough  to  give  positive  pitch.  The  beginning  of  this 
effort  is  a  sepulchral  and  somewhat  protracted  sound, 
which  bursts  into  several  rapid,  boisterous  bubbles,  fol- 
lowed by  others  softer  and  slower,  farther  and  farther 
apart. 

L  Q  f  *  m.&dim 

Lflr     r —    6   t   t  T^   I!     C      I!       C        C         C     H 


Wau    -    olp, olp,    olp,      olp,       olp,         olp,  olp. 

The  yellow-breasted  chat  exhibits  the  same  rhythmic 
peculiarity  in  his  chattings,  and  so  does  the  woodpecker, 
drumming  on  a  board  or  dry  limb  for  the  mere  sound  of 
it ;  but  in  quality  nothing  can  be  compared  with  this  slop- 
ping performance,  unless  it  be  that  of  the  loose-mouthed 
hound  lapping  from  a  pan  of  milk. 

The  cuckoos,  graceful,  beautiful  birds,  and  ever  rapt  in 
solemn  revery,  are  solitary  voices,  seldom  heard  more  than 
one  at  a  time. 


QUAIL;    BOB  WHITE. 

ORT7X   VIRGINIANUS 

THE  quail  is  said  to  be  a  general  inhabitant  of  North 
America,  but  familiar  as  I  have  been  with  almost  all 
parts  of  Vermont  for  more  than  thirty  years,  I  have  seen 
only  one  quail  in  the  State,  and  he  was  evidently  a 
"tramp."  I  heard  him  just  at  night,  the  first  day  of 
July,  1884.  Did  not  get  sight  of  him  till  the  next  morn- 
ing, when  he  came  out  into  the  sun,  stood  on  the  top  rail 
of  a  fence,  warmed  himself,  and  whistled  his  spirited, 
forceful  tune,  his  solid  little  body  swelling  and  throbbing 
at  every  note,  especially  when  he  rose  to  the  tonic. 

I  was  prepared  for  him,  and  made  an  exact  copy  of 
what  he  gave  me :  — 


Bob,         Bob  white,        Bob     white,        Bob,          Bob       white. 


After  the  performance  he  stood,  evidently  listening  for 
a  reply ;  none  came,  and  without  another  note  he  disap- 
peared, to  be  seen  no  more. 

The  quail  is  about  one-half  the  size  of  our  partridge, 
and  resembles  it  in  plumage  and  style  of  flight.  It  seems 
a  little  strange  that  the  time  of  incubation  should  be  four 


WOOD  NOTES   WILD.  91 

weeks,  while  the  partridge  and  the  domestic  hen  sit  only 
three  weeks.  A  nest  that  I  found  in  Iowa  in  1874,  on 
the  ground,  seemed  rather  small  and  too  deep,  the  sixteen 
eggs  being  piled  one  upon  another  for  at  least  three 
layers.  I  was  told  that  they  were  all  sure  to  hatch. 

Our  eastern  quails  are  plump,  fine-looking  birds ;  but 
there  are  two  varieties  in  California,  the  "mountain 
quail"  and  the  "valley  quail,"  more  beautiful  than 
ours. 


BUFFED  GKOUSE;  PARTRIDGE ; 
PHEASANT. 

BONASA    UMBELLUS. 

THE  peculiar  interest  in  the  partridge  is  owing  to 
its  close  kinship  with  our  domestic  fowls.  The 
wild  and  the  tame  hens  look  alike  and  act  alike;  their 
habits  are  similar;  their  eggs  differ  only  in  size;  and 
both  prefer  nests  on  the  ground.  They  gather  their 
chickens  under  their  wings,  and  call  them  with  like 
clucks.  The  partridge  seems  to  have  an  appreciation 
of  all  this,  and  delights  in  coming  near  our  buildings, 
even  lighting  upon  them  and  on  the  well-curb,  and 
flying  down  into  the  door-yard.  Not  long  since,  a  young 
miss  of  our  village  drove  one  into  a  shed,  and  caught 
it  in  her  hands. 

Living  for  more  than  thirty  years  in  a  grove,  I  have 
had  interesting  experiences  with  these  birds.  One  even- 
ing last  summer,  on  going  just  at  dark  to  see  what  dis- 
turbed a  hen  grouping  her  chickens  out-of-doors,  I  found 
a  partridge  sitting  in  her  nest,  refusing  to  be  driven  out 
by  the  proprietor,  who  was  both  picking  it  and  striking  it 
with  her  wings.  I  took  it  up,  carried  it  into  the  house, 
examined  it,  and  placed  it  on  the  floor.  It  was  full 
grown  and  plump,  but  appeared  to  be  unable  to  stand, 


WOOD  NOTES   WILD.  93 

lying  quite  motionless,  as  is  the  habit  of  the  young  in 
time  of  danger.  The  next  morning,  when  I  opened  the 
door  of  the  wood-house,  where  it  had  spent  the  night, 
instantly  it  hummed  by  my  head  and  disappeared.  (The 
partridge  has  a  rapid  flight,  and  no  bird  surpasses  it  in 
swift  sailing.)  What  caused  this  partridge  to  seek  the 
nest  of  the  brooding  hen  at  that  hour  is  something  of  a 
mystery ;  it  may  have  been  hotly  pursued  by  an  owl. 

But  it  is  of  the  musical  powers  of  the  partridge  that 
I  wish  to  speak.  One  spring  the  neighboring  children 
came  in  companies  to  see  a  partridge  on  her  nest  close  by 
my  barn.  The  novel  sight  was  highly  entertaining,  but 
their  eyes  opened  wider  still  when  they  saw  and  heard 
the  performances  of  her  mate  on  his  favorite  log.  Dur- 
ing the  time  the  hen  was  laying  and  sitting,  he  often 
gave  us  the  "  stormy  music  of  his  drum."  It  was  small 
trouble  to  arrange  bushes  on  a  fence  near  by,  so  that 
one  could  creep  up  unseen  and  get  a  full  view  of  the 
gallant  thunderer  perched  on  a  knotty  old  hemlock  log, 
mossy  and  half-buried  in  the  ground;  and  "children 
of  a  larger  growth,"  as  well  as  the  boys  and  girls, 
availed  themselves  of  the  opportunity.  Of  the  many 
who  saw  him  in  the  act  of  drumming,  I  do  not  recall 
one  who  had  a  correct  idea  beforehand  of  the  way  in 
which  the  "partridge  thunder"  is  produced.  It  was 
supposed  to  be  made  by  the  striking  of  the  bird's  wings 
either  against  the  log  or  against  his  body;  whereas  it 
was  now  plainly  to  be  seen  that  the  performer  stood 
straight  up,  like  a  junk  bottle,  and  brought  his  wings  in 
front  of  him  with  quick,  strong  strokes,  smiting  nothing 


94  WOOD  NOTES    WILD. 

but  the  air,   not  even  his  "own  proud  breast,"  as  one 
distinguished  observer  has  suggested. 

Wilson  thinks  the  drumming  may  be  heard  nearly 
half  a  mile.  He  might  safely  have  doubled  the  distance ; 
though  when  we  consider  the  low  pitch,  B  flat,  second  line 


in  bass  staff,  the  fact  is  surprising.  The  tones  somewhat 
resemble  those  of  any  deep  drum,  being  very  deceptive 
as  to  distance,  often  sounding  near  when  far  off,  and  far 
off  when  near.  I  describe  the  drumming  as  a  succes- 
sion of  thumps,  the  first  dozen  of  which  may  be  counted. 
The  first  two  or  three  are  soft  and  comparatively  slow; 
then  they  increase  rapidly  in  force  and  frequency,  rush- 
ing onward  into  a  furious  whir,  the  whir  subsiding  in  a 
swift  but  graduated  dimmish.  The  entire  power  of  the 
partridge  must  be  thrown  into  this  exercise.  His  appear- 
ance immediately  afterward  affirms  it  as  strongly  as  does 
the  volume  of  sound ;  for  he  drops  into  the  forlornest  of 
attitudes,  looking  as  if  he  would  never  move  again.  In 
a  few  minutes,  however,  perhaps  five,  he  begins  to  have 
nervous  motions  of  the  head ;  up,  up,  it  goes,  and  his  body 
with  it,  till  he  is  perfectly  erect,  —  legs,  body,  neck,  and 
all.  Then  for  the  thunder  once  more:  — 


Thump,  thump,    thump,    thump,  thump,  thump,  thump. .  Whir.    .    .    , 

The  partridge,  as  the  bass  drummer,  is  an   important 
member  of  the  feathered  orchestra. 


GREAT  NORTHERN  DIVER;  LOOK 

COLYMBUS    TOKQUATTJS. 

r  I  ^HE  loon  is  not  a  singer,  but  his  calls  and  shoutings 
exhibit  so  great  a  variety  of  vocal  qualities  that 
we  must  consider  him  a  member  of  Nature's  chorus. 

In  the  summer  of  1887,  I  spent  a  few  weeks  on  the 
borders  of  Trout  Lake,  St.  Lawrence  County,  New  York. 
This  beautiful  little  island-dotted  lake,  some  three  miles 
long,  has  been  inhabited  for  years  by  three  or  four  pairs 
of  loons.  There  they  lay  their  eggs  and  rear  their  young, 
and  there  I  found  a  good  opportunity  to  study  them.  On 
one  occasion  a  small  party  of  us  discovered  a  nest.  When 
we  were  yet  a  good  way  off,  the  wary  sitter  slid  from 
sight  into  the  water,  darted  along  beneath  our  boat,  and 
was  far  out  into  the  lake  before  she  came  to  the  surface. 
The  nest,  simply  a  little  cavity  in  dry  muck,  was  on 
the  ruins  of  an  old  musk-rat  house,  not  more  than 
eight  or  ten  inches  above  the  water.  There  were  two 
very  dark  eggs  in  it, —  never  more  than  two  are  found  in 
the  nest  of  the  loon, —  nearly  as  large  as  those  of  a  goose. 

The  time  of  sitting,  as  I  was  informed,  is  four  weeks. 
Wilson  says  of  the  loons  that  "they  light  upon  their 
nests;"  but  a  careful  observer,  who  had  several  times 
seen  the  female  make  her  way  from  the  water  to  her 
nest,  told  me  that  they  shove  themselves  to  it  on  their 


96  WOOD  NOTES   WILD. 

.breasts,  very  much  as  they  push  themselves  in  the  water. 
I  was  also  informed  that  the  young  are  never  fed  upon 
the  nest,  but  are  taken  to  the  water  on  the  back  of  the 
mother,  where  they  remain  and  are  fed  for  a  time,  and 
then  are  launched  upon  the  waves  for  life.  At  this  age 
one  can  row  up  to  them  and  take  them  in  the  hand, 
which  they  delight  in  giving  hard  nips  with  their  long, 
limber  bills ;  but  when  a  month  old  they  seem  as  wild 
and  cunning  as  their  parents. 

I  had  several  lively  frolics  with  a  pair  about  that  age. 
They  were  already  expert  divers  and  could  swim  many 
rods  under  water.  As  we  neared  them  in  the  boat  great 
excitement  was  manifested  by  both  old  and  young;  the 
little  ones  dived  in  a  flash  and  the  parents  made  off  rap- 
idly, shouting  for  us  to  follow  them.  How  they  knew  the 
direction  the  young  ones  took  under  water  I  cannot  say ; 
but  they  were  sure  to  take  quite  another  course.  After 
learning  their  trick  we  turned  to  go  from  them,  when 
suddenly  there  was  a  furious  dashing  and  splashing  just 
behind  us,  and  in  a  moment  more  one  of  them  rushed  by, 
very  near  us,  both  flying  and  swimming,  with  wings  in 
the  air  and  feet  in  the  water.  He  swept  by  us  with 
a  noise  like  a  steamboat,  but  no  boat  could  equal  his 
speed.  At  every  stroke  of  his  wings  he  smote  the  water 
as  well  as  the  air.  It  is  the  opinion  of  many  that  the  loon 
uses  the  wings  under  water,  which  is  probably  the  case. 

When  the  family  discovered  that  we  were  only  at  play 
with  them,  they  became  quiet;  but  presently  there  went 
up  a  strange  wild  cry  of  three  tones,  the  second  one  being 
long  and  loud,  and  all  so  much  like  the  call  of  the  human 


WOOD  NOTES    WILD.  97 

voice  that  no  sensitive  person  could  hear  them  without 
surprise  and  emotion:  — 


Wilson  thought  the  European  divers  to  be  of  a  different 
species  from  the  American  divers,  they  differed  so  much 
in  size.  He  cites  a  European  specimen  that  weighed 
sixteen  pounds  against  the  usual  weight  of  our  divers, 
which  he  puts  at  eight  and  a  half  pounds.  The  point  of 
size  would  not  seem  to  be  well  taken,  for  I  have  seen  in 
the  collection  of  Mr.  Vickary,  the  taxidermist  of  Lynn, 
the  body  of  one  of  our  divers  which  weighed  twelve 
pounds ;  and  Mr.  Vickary  informs  me  that  one  was  once 
sent  to  him  which  weighed  seventeen  pounds. 

The  loon  is  a  born  aristocrat.  He,  is  no  trifler:  every- 
thing he  does  bears  an  intellectual  stamp.  A  solitary, 
mating  only  with  the  elements,  he  is  master  of  winds 
and  waves,  sitting  the  waters  with  sovereign  grace  and 
dignity,  equally  unconcerned  in  calm  and  tempest.  Sur- 
prised by  danger,  he  dives  fearlessly  and  swims  the 
depths  with  incredible  swiftness  and  for  an  astonishing 
length  of  time,  finally  emerging  far  away.  Then,  if  the 
attractions  of  his  other  element  inspire  him,  he  rises  and 
flies  rapidly  through  the  upper  air,  shouting  over  and  over 
his  characteristic  five  tones:  — 

IM'  g    C    C    ?    C  .  t    C    g    g    t  ,  C    f 


00,        00,         00,        00,        00,  00,  00,        00,       00,         00,  00,  00, 

-6— E    C  .  C    6-  C  C    C  i  E-C    C    C  C: 

00,        00,        00,  00,         00,        00,  00,      00,  00,      00,     00,       00,  00. 

7 


GEEAT  HOENED  OWL. 

BUBO   VIRGINIANTJS. 

"  \  "\  7  HO  ever  heard  an  owl  sing  ?  is  asked  in  de- 
*  V  rision,"  says  a  delightful  writer  on  natural 
subjects ;  and  he  himself  seems  almost  willing  to  acknow- 
ledge that  the  owl  does  not  sing,  and  even  to  doubt  his 
hoot.  However  it  may  be  elsewhere,  up  here  among  the 
Green  Mountains  owls  hoot,  and  hoot  well,  with  deep, 
strong  voices  that  may  be  heard  distinctly,  of  a  calm 
evening,  for  a  mile  or  more. 

One  winter,  after  six  weeks  of  cold,  perhaps  the 
severest  in  fifteen  years,  the  weather  moderated,  and 
the  3d  of  March  was  comparatively  a  mild  day.  An  owl 
felt  the  change,  and  in  his  gladness  sent  down  ponderous 
vesper  notes  from  the  mountain,  which,  as  they  came 
booming  across  the  valley,  bore  joy  to  all  that  heard 
them. 

The  owl  did  not  change  the  weather;  the  weather 
changed  the  owl.  After  all  that  has  been  said  for  and 
against  the  ability  of  inferior  creatures  to  foretell  changes 
of  weather,  the  sum  of  our  knowledge  amounts  to  about 
this :  the  senses  of  these  beings  are  keener  than  our  own, 
enabling  them  to  feel  the  changes  sooner  than  we  can, 
and  consequently  to  get  a  little  before  us  with  their 


WOOD  NOTES    WILD.  99 

predictions.  On  the  present  occasion,  though  it  was 
almost  dark,  the  guinea  hens  chimed  in  with  their  rasp- 
ing voices,  and  the  turkeys  added  their  best  gobbles  in 
happy  proclamation  of  the  warm  time  coming.  The  owl 
gave  three  distinct  hoots  in  succession,  repeating  them  at 
intervals  of  about  two  minutes  at  first,  afterwards  with 
longer  pauses.  The  first  of  these  tones  was  preceded 
by  a  grace  note ;  the  second  was  followed  by  a  thread- 
like slide  down  a  fourth;  and  at  the  close  of  the  third 
was  a  similar  descent  of  an  octave. 


EEEEfeEE 


Hoo,  Hoo,          Hoo. 

Neither  slide,  however,  ended  in  a  firm  tone. 

White  of  Selborne  says  that  one  of  his  musical  friends 
decided  that,  with  a  single  exception,  his  owls  hooted  in 
B  flat ;  while  a  neighbor  found  the  owls  about  the  village 
hooting  in  "  three  different  keys,  —  in  G  flat  or  F  sharp, 
in  B  flat,  and  A  flat."  This  Yankee  owl,  true  to  the 
instincts  of  the  soil,  hooted  in  a  key  of  his  own,  E  flat. 


MOTTLED  OWL;   SCKEECH-OWL. 

SCOPS  ASIO. 


little  screech-owl  is  perhaps  the  best  musical 
•*•  representative  of  the  owls.  Indeed,  in  point  of 
individuality  of  style,  this  artist  stands  alone,  and  must 
be  ranked  as  a  singer.  To  be  sure,  he  has  nothing  of  the 
spontaneous  joy  of  the  robin,  of  the  frolic  flow  of  the 
bobolink,  nothing  of  the  clear,  clean  vigor  of  the  oriole  ; 
but  he  surpasses  them  all  in  tender,  dulcet  sentiment. 
Never  attempting  a  boisterous  strain,  his  utterances  are 
pensive  and  subdued,  often  like  a  faint  cry  of  despair. 
Chary  of  his  powers,  the  screech-owl  cuts  his  programme 
tormentingly  short  ;  and  it  is  only  after  many  trials  that 
one  is  able  to  collect  the  disjointed  strains  that  make  his 
medley  entire.  Just  at  dark,  some  pleasant  evening,  you 
will  hear  his  low,  faint  tremors.  At  first  they  may  be 
heard  perhaps  every  other  minute,  then  the  interim  grad- 
ually lengthens,  until  by  nine  o'clock  his  pauses  become 
intolerably  long.  The  tremors  or  trills  are  given  with  a 
swell,  the  crescendo  being  longer  than  the  diminuendo. 

Ores       -       cen       •       do.       Dim    -    in    -    u   -    endo. 


Ah 


WOOD  NOTES   WILD. 


This  is  repeated,  evening  to  evening,  without  variation ; 
but  after  long  waiting  and  many  disappointments  comes 
a  change  that  is  at  once  a  surprise  and  a  delight :  — 


-     00, 


Ah  -  oo, 


Ah  -   oo. 


This  owl  ascends  the  scale  generally  not  more  than  one 
or  two  degrees ;  the  charm  lies  in  his  manner  of  descent, 
sometimes  by  a  third,  again  by  a  fourth,  and  still  again 
by  a  sixth.  At  the  outset  one  is  inclined  to  decide  that 
the  descent  is  according  to  the  chromatic  scale ;  then  the 
steps  will  seem  too  short,  sounding  not  more  than  half  so 
long  as  those  of  this  scale.  I  can  best  describe  it  as 
a  sliding  tremolo,  —  a  trickling  down,  like  water  over 
pebbles :  — 


Ah       -       -      -       -      oo,      Ah  -  oo,     Ah  -  oo,      Ah  -  oo,     All 


So  rapidly  and  neatly  is  it  done  that  an  expert  violinist 
could  not  easily  reproduce  it.  Perhaps  the  descent  of  the 
whinny  of  a  horse  comes  the  nearest  to  it  of  any  succes- 
sion of  natural  sounds. 

One  September  morning  something  woke  me  at  two 
o'clock.     My   head   was   soon   out  of  the   window,  and 


102 


WOOD  NOTES    WILD. 


just  in  time  to  hear  what  I  had  waited  for  for  more 
than  a  year.  My  little  screech-owl  had  come  to  make 
amends  for  his  tantalizing  delays.  I  had  heard  the 
strains  before  but  had  not  secured  them.  They  were  as 
follows :  — 


Ah  -  ee,          Ah  -  ee,          Ah   -  ee,          Ah   -  ee,          Ah  •  ee. 


Ah-oo,     Ah-oo,      Ah-oo,     Ah  •  OO,    .    .    ...     oo  -  oo  -  oo  -  oo- oo. 


oo,       Ah  •  oo,       Ah  -oo,      Ah  -  oo. 


It  is  hard  to  believe  that  pleadings  so  gentle  can 
accompany  thoughts  intent  on  plunder  and  blood.  I  do 
not  know  where  to  look  again  for  so  painful  a  contradic- 
tion as  exists  between  the  tones  of  this  bird  and  his 
wicked  work.  Wilson,  noticing  the  inconsistency  be- 
tween his  utterances  and  his  actions,  says  of  one  he  had 
in  confinement,  that  at  twilight  he  "  flew  about  the  room 
with  the  silence  of  thought,  and  perching,  moaned  out 
his  melancholy  notes  with  many  lively  gesticulations  not 
at  all  in  accordance  with  the  pitiful  tone  of  his  ditty, 
which  reminded  one  of  a  half-frozen  puppy." 

The  naturalist  is  glad  to  be  a  "  companion  of  owls  "  for 
a  season,  willingly  taking  the  risk  of  their  making  night 
hideous  and  keeping  him  awake  with  their  "  snoring." 


WOOD  NOTES   WILD.  103 

Owls  have  been  hooted  at  perhaps  as  long  as  they  have 
been  hooting.  "  As  stupid  as  an  owl,"  "  tough  as  a  b'iled 
owl,"  —  these  expressions  of  reproach  are  still  in  vogue. 
But  let  us  give  the  owl  his  due.  An  intelligent  and 
apparently  honest  man  tells  me  that  he  once  ate  of  an 
owl  —  fattened  on  chickens,  by  the  way,  niched  from  him 
with  surpassing  cunning  —  and  found  it  as  sweet  and 
tender  fowl  as  he  had  ever  tasted.  So  it  seems  the 
owl  is  not  always  stupid  nor  always  tough.  Few  birds 
are  clad  in  finer  raiment,  and  no  other  inhabitants  of  the 
air  fly  with  so  velvet-like,  so  silent  wings. 


HEN  MUSIC. 

LATE  one  night,  as  I  chanced  near  the  hennery  with 
a  light,  I  was  rewarded  by  an  exquisite  exhibition 
of  the  communicative  ability  of  our  domestic  fowls. 
The  hens  moved  on  their  perches,  when  the  rooster 
spoke,  rousing  them  still  more.  Stepping  back,  I  soon 
heard  a  little  sound,  high  and  "  exceeding  fine,"  with  a 
deceiving  ventriloquous  quality.  Long  spun,  and  then 
bent  down  in  a  graceful  descent  of  the  interval  of  a  sixth, 
it  terminated  in  a  more  decided  tone,  a  peculiar  tremor 
something  less  than  a  trill,  and  died  away  in  a  beautiful 
diminish. 


This  model  example  in  pianissimo  practice  and  in  the 
art  of  holding  the  breath  proved  to  come  from  one  of  the 
hens;  and  though  the  exact  tones  are  here  represented, 
no  idea  can  be  conveyed  of  the  unique,  perfect  perform- 
ance. The  quieting  effect  on  the  family  was  instantaneous  ; 
not  another  move  or  peep.  The  descent  noted  is  similar 
to  that  made  by  the  screech-owl.  The  intervals  are  iden- 
tical ;  but  the  hen  slides  down  with  an  oily  smoothness, 
while  the  owl,  as  elsewhere  shown,  comes  trembling, 
shivering  down. 


WOOD  NOTES   WILD.  1Q5 

Being  an  hour  late  with  their  breakfast  one  morning,  I 
was  received  by  the  feathered  supplicants  with  unusual 
demonstrations.  They  crowded  about  me  so  closely  I 
could  hardly  step  without  treading  on  their  toes.  With 
heads  lifted  much  higher  than  one  would  think  they 
could  be,  and  eyes  shining,  their  tones  and  inflections 
were  exceedingly  human.  Like  all  birds,  wild  or  tame, 
hens  employ,  ascending  and  descending,  the  intervals  of 
our  scale,  except  in  cases  as  above  described;  they  use 
the  half-step  and  whole-step,  the  major  and  minor  thirds, 
the  fourth,  fifth,  and  sixth,  with  a  good  sprinkling  of 
chromatics.  In  this  instance  every  degree  of  the  staff 
was  brought  into  requisition,  the  slide  of  a  fourth  upward 
occuring  oftenest. 


Wait,  wait,  wait,  wait,     wait,  wait,        ok,     ik,  ok,  ok,    ok,    ik. 

The  notes  of  one  hen  were  all  the  same,  and  piano. 


o  -  ark,          o  -  ark,         ark,  ark,  ark,  ark,  ark,        ark,  ark. 


But  the  rooster's  petition  "  led  all  the  rest."     Striding 
about  in  the  rear,  an  occasional  brief  command  attesting 


106  WOOD  NOTES   WILD. 

his  title  of  "Captain,"  at  length  he  burst  out  into  this 
sonorous  strain:  — 


N4£  —  -J  — 

Wauk, 

wauk,  wauk, 

i  y— 

wauk,     wauk, 

wauk, 

01 

^      ores. 

Mfe—  j- 

~          J 

J-     ^    *UI 

wauk,      wauk,       wauk,  wauk,      wauk,  wauk,  wauk. 

The  Captain's  voice  was  sound  and  powerful,  and  his 
intonation  perfect.  The  slides  of  a  third  and  fourth  were 
carried  up  with  a  noble  crescendo  ;  and  when  he  rose  to 
the  tonic  at  the  close,  the  effect  was  thrilling  as  that  of 
a  clarion  blast. 

What  with  his  sturdy  song  and  dignified,  soldierly  bear- 
ing, the  Captain's  effort  was  full  of  hints,  in  manner  and 
motive,  for  the  composer,  the  singer,  and  the  orator. 
When,  a  few  mornings  after  his  notable  improvisation,  I 
found  the  Captain's  lifeless  body,  I  was  not  surprised  at 
the  gentle  demeanor  of  his  many  widows ;  they  felt,  per- 
haps more  keenly  than  I,  that  one  of  the  mighty  had 
fallen. 

It  was  several  weeks  before  I  found  a  substitute  for  the 
Captain;  at  length  a  boy  brought  him,  and  I  saw  at  a 
glance  that  he  was  the  "  General."  With  a  word  or  two 
by  way  of  greeting,  he  paused  and  stood  erect  before  the 
bereft  hens.  Soon  a  pullet,  the  only  shy  member  of  the 
company,  ran  to  him  and  put  her  head  close  to  his.  If 
the  General  moved,  Kuth-like,  she  moved.  A  mourner 


WOOD  NOTES    WILD.  1Q7 

of  wider  experience  was  no  less  interesting  in  behavior. 
For  some  moments  she  stood  aloof  in  disgust ;  then,  with 
more  ruffle  at  her  neck  than  was  becoming,  flew  at  the 
General  with  all  fury.  The  astonished  soldier  returned 
several  blows,  then  checking  himself,  held  his  head  to 
the  ground,  covered  with  confusion.  The  fair  insulter 
had  no  idea  of  quitting;  she  continued  the  onslaught, 
finally  ending  it  with  a  series  of  smart  picks  square  on 
the  lordly  comb.  The  General  "grinned  and  bore  it," 
and  thus  ended  the  ludicrous  mistake,  for  a  mistake  it 
was,  the  General  fancying  for  an  instant  that  he  was 
dealing  with  a  foeman  worthy  of  his  spur.  On  discover- 
ing his  blunder,  he  was  glad  to  suffer  the  most  crushing 
humiliation. 

The  newcomer  proved  a  lusty  crower ;  and  after  taking 
his  morning  call  several  times,  and  finding  it  without 
variation,  I  recorded  him :  — 


But  one  day,  at  a  late  hour,  when  he  was  at  large,  I  heard 
him  use  very  different  intervals.  Listening  to  the  strange 
version  over  and  over  again,  I  was  much  surprised  and 
perplexed ;  for,  if  I  had  erred  in  his  case,  which  was  a 
plain  one,  what  might  be  my  errors  in  intricate  cases ! 
I  immediately  changed  the  record  to  the  new  form,  and 
wrote  in  the  margin,  "Every  man  is  a  genius  in  going 
wrong."  But  the  next  morning  my  ear  caught  the  first 
form  again.  The  second,  the  same  to  the  eye  but  very 
unlike  to  the  ear,  was  this :  — 


108 


WOOD  NOTES   WILD. 


Had  the  second  form  been  given  in  the  key  of  the  first, 
thus,  — 


1st. 


it  would  have  seemed  more  natural ;  but  as  I  was  correct 
in  both  instances,  I  reasoned  that  the  rooster  might  be. 
I  finally  settled  it  that  the  General's  first  form  was  his 
morning  in-door  salute,  and  that  the  second  was  his  out- 
of-doors,  "  every-day  "  song ;  furthermore,  that  he  or  some 
of  his  ancestry  had  stolen  his  text  from  a  strain  in  "  The 
Seven  Sleepers,"  which  in  my  memory  runs  — 


Oh, 


Pro  -  con  -  sul 


However,  a  waggish  composer  offset  this  theft  when  he 
caught  the  jubilant  cackle  of  a  hen  as  she  broke  from  her 
nest,  heart  and  throat  full  of  joyous  melody,  snatched  it 
bodily,  I  say,  clapped  it  to  paper,  and  made  "  Old  Dan 
Tucker:"  — 


Cut,       cut,       cut,       cut,       cut,       cut,      cut,     cut,     cut,      cut, 


cut,       cut,       cut,          ker     dart      cut,        cut          ker        dart, 


WOOD  NOTES   WILD. 


109 


mf. 


Wag  -   gle,       wag  -   gle,       wag   -   gle,     wag-  gle,      cut        ker 


mp 


f         f         f        f        f 


dart       wag  -  gle,        wag  -   gle,     wag  -  gle,     wag  -  gle,    cut 


ker     dart,       wag  -    gle,       wag  -   gle,       wag  -  gle,     wag  -  gle, 

rit =2' 

•        ff-.  •         f 


cut,      cut,      cut, 


cut,      cut,      cut,      cut         ker    dart. 


APPENDIX. 


APPENDIX. 


SEVEEAL  spaces,  some  of  which  are  indicated  by  the 
lines  of  periods,  were  left  in  the  manuscript  for 
enlargement  and  illustration.  Unfortunately,  but  two  of 
the  musical  illustrations  can  be  found.  The  author  was 
singularly  ready  and  happy  in  such  musical  reports  as 
those  of  the  dropping  water  and  the  clothes-rack,  giving 
them  frequently,  interspersing  his  conversation  with  bits 
of  song. 

Localities  where  the  Songs  were  taken.    (See  p.  i.) 

The  observations  here  recorded  were  begun  and  con- 
tinued for  more  than  a  year  at  Maple  Grove,  Dorset, 
Bennington  County,  Vermont.  Afterward  the  work  was 
carried  forward  in  various  parts  of  New  Hampshire  and 
in  St.  Lawrence  County,  New  York,  but  principally  in 
Southern  Massachusetts,  especially  at  and  about  Lynn 
and  in  Franklin,  Norfolk  County.  —  C.,  S.  P. 

Newness  of  the  Field.    (See  p.  1.) 

"I  have  had  a  feast  for  the  past  week  with  Wilson, 
Flagg,  and  Audubon.  I  have  greater  faith  than  ever  in 


114  WOOD  NOTES   WILD. 

NEWNESS  OF  THE  FIELD.  —  Contin. 

my  undertaking.  Poor  Audubon !  all  through  his  big 
book  he  laments  his  inability  to  describe  the  songs  of 
the  charming  birds.  Flagg  has  given  a  few  specimens. 
He  thinks  there  can  be  no  more  of  their  songs  copied.1 
Audubon  was  a  wonder,  but  Wilson  is,  to  my  mind,  the 
most  charming  of  the  writers  on  the  birds.  The  two  men 
were  at  work  at  the  same  time,  and  were  well  along  with 
their  great  undertakings  before  they  knew  anything  of 
each  other.  So  it  is ;  one  can  hardly  have  a  new  thought 
all  to  himself.  If  I  had  started  this  bird  music  twenty- 
five  years  back,  I  should  have  been  all  alone ;  I  don't  lack 

much  of  it  now."  —  C.,  S.  P.,  in  a  letter  dated  February,  1886. 

Dr.  Golz,  formerly  First  President  of  the  German 
General  Ornithological  Society  (Allgemeine  .Deutsche 

1  There  are  those  who  think  that  none  of  the  bird-songs  can  be 
copied :  — 

"  As  I  have  some  musical  knowledge,  and  have  given  some  attention 
to  the  music  of  birds'  songs,  it  may  be  worth  while  to  add  one  or  two 
remarks  on  a  subject  which  is  as  difficult  as  it  is  pleasing.  I  need  hardly 
say  that  birds  do  not  sing  in  our  musical  scale.  Attempts  to  represent 
their  song  by  our  notation,  as  is  done,  for  example,  in  Mr.  Harting's 
1  Birds  of  Middlesex/  are  almost  always  misleading.  Birds  are  guided 
in  their  song  by  no  regular  succession  of  intervals;  in  other  words, 
they  use  no  scale  at  all.  Their  music  is  of  a  totally  different  kind  to 
ours."  -  Fowler,  W.  W. :  A  Year  with  the  Birds,  p.  257.  London,  1889. 

"Having  been  myself  musical  from  my  very  cradle,  and  having  made 
long  and  frequent  observations  of  the  songs  of  birds,  I  have  come  to  the 
decided  conclusion  that  the  natural  songs  of  English  birds  (the  only  birds 
with  which  in  a  state  of  nature  I  am  acquainted)  are  never  capable  of 
musical  notation,  —  are  never,  in  fact,  in  tune  with  our  musical  scale. 
People  may  be  startled  by  such  an  assertion,  which  is,  in  other  words, 
that  all  birds  sing  out  of  tune."— R.,  M.  H. :  Songs  of  Birds.  Notes  and 
Queries,  3d  set.  vol.  xii.,  Aug.  3, 1867.  (See  Index  ;  Pole,  W.) 


APPENDIX.  115 

NEWNESS  OF  THE  FIELD.  —  Contin. 

Ornithologen  Gesellschaft),  referring  to  the  notations  of 
Beckler  (see  Index,  Beckler,  D.  H.),  speaks  with  more 
reserve.  In  a  note  dated  December,  1890,  he  supports, 
though  somewhat  indirectly,  the  opinion  of  our  author; 
namely,  that  the  main  body  of  a  bird-song  may  be  fairly 
represented  by  the  notes  of  our  scale.  He  would  except 
the  performances  of  the  gray  nightingale  and  of  our 
mocking-bird,  as  Mr.  Cheney  excepts  the  performance  of 
the  bobolink.  Dr.  Golz  says :  — 

"  A  short  time  before  the  publication  of  Dr.  Alfred  Brehm's 
work  '  Captive  Birds '  (Gefangene  Vogel)  a  treatise  by  Beckler 
appeared  in  the  *  Gartenlaube/  published  by  Keil  at  Leipsic. 
In  this  periodical  that  traveller  and  ornithologist  attempted 
to  reproduce  or  to  express  in  notes  of  our  musical  scales  the 
song  of  different  birds,  principally  Indian  birds,  for  instance 
the  *  Shana '  (  Gophychus  macrurus) .  I  then  pointed  out  that 
composers  of  high  standing  and  opera-singers  who  themselves 
were  bird-fanciers  had  endeavored  in  vain  to  render  in  notes 
of  our  musical  scales  the  wonderful  succession  of  tones  of  your 
mocking-bird  (Turdus  polyglottus) .  This  would  only  be  pos- 
sible with  very  monotonous  songs,  —  for  instance,  those  of  a 
finch  (Fringilla  coelebs)  or  a  thrush  (Turdus  musicus),  but  not 
with  the  complicated  strophes  of  our  gray  nightingale  (Luscinia 
philomela),  which  vary  from  whole  tones  to  halves  and  from 
thirds  to  fifths,  —  not  to  speak  of  those  of  your  world-renowned 
mocking-bird.  Among  the  latter  there  are,  as  a  well-known 
fact,  some  monotonous  and  incompetent  singers,  which  having 
been  taken  from  their  nests  when  very  young,  had  been  brought 
up  without  hearing  the  old  birds  sing.  Unschooled  singers, 
however,  are  for  the  most  part  virtuosi,  master  singers,  and  are 
not  to  be  forced  into  notes  of  our  system." 


116  WOOD  NOTES   WILD. 

NEWNESS  OF  THE  FIELD.  —  Contin. 

"  Have  received  and  carefully  considered  the  maga- 
zine article  (Henderson,  W.  J.,  Sportsman's  Music,  in 
the  Century  Magazine,  xxxiv.  413-417).  The  author, 
claiming  to  be  a  '  musician/  asserts,  to  begin  with,  that 
'  there  is  nothing  in  Nature  that  resembles  music ; '  that 
the  succession  of  sustained  sounds  is  not  heard,  —  that 
'the  peculiarity  of  the  songs  of  all  birds  is  that  they 
never  sustain  notes/  Then  he  quotes  the  Eev.  Mr.  Haweis 
to  support  him,  and  the  reverend  takes  the  cuckoo  —  the 
English  cuckoo,  I  suppose  —  as  the  best  example.  Says 
he  '  sings  a  true  third,  and  sometimes  a  sharp  third,  or 
even  a  fourth/  and  this  is  the  '  nearest  approach  to 
music  in  Nature/  Of  all  the  birds  to  select  for  the  pur- 
pose, the  cuckoo  of  any  country  would  seem  to  be  the 
very  last.  I  know  nothing  about  the  English  cuckoo,  but 
our  cuckoo  never  sings  a  third,  '  true '  or  false,  nor  a 
'fourth/  His  song  is  a  perfect  monotone  excepting  an 
occasional  drop  of  a  half-step.  That  is  the  whole  of  it. 
The  writer  of  this  article  has  a  '  profound  sense '  of  the 
impossibility  of  doing  justice  to  the  quail's  song.  Old 
Hundred  is  not  plainer  than  the  notes  of  the  quail,  and 
no  idea  is  given,  in  either  of  the  two  examples,  of  the 
notes  of  the  quail.  The  same  is  true  of  all  that  is  said  of 
the  meadow  lark."  —  C.,  S.  P.,  in  a  letter  dated  July,  1887. 

For  newness  of  the  field,  contin.,  see  Index,  Newness,  etc. 
For  intervals  of  English  cuckoo's  song,  see  Index,  Cuckoo. 


APPENDIX. 


Music  in  Nature.    (See  p.  2.) 

With  this  same  article  for  his  text,  the  author  writes 
again  at  length :  "  Do  the  birds  '  never  sustain  notes '  ? 
Listen  to  the  loon,  our  largest  bird,  calling  to  her  young 
in  time  of  peril  with  a  loud,  long  tone  so  startlingly  like 
the  human  voice :  — 


Here  is  a  <  fourth  and  a  true  third.'  Descend,  now,  and 
listen  to  one  of  the  smallest  of  our  singing-birds,  the 
titmouse :  — 


r   r  :      r  r  :  r=p=p= 


The  chickadees  sustain  these  notes  longer  than  we  do  the 
half  and  quarter  notes  in  Dundee  or  Old  Hundred.  Here 
is  a  '  true  third '  and  a  true  second ;  and  they  are  sung 
with  a  purity  of  tone  not  to  be  equalled  this  side  of 
heaven.  The  little  black-throated  green  warbler  sings 
with  marked  distinction  and  moderation,  — 

Sva. 


Here  is  the  true  major  third,  and  the  strain  is  identical  in 
melody  with  '  Larboard  Watch  Ahoy ' :  — 

UNI  r   E  r'  5^1 


118  WOOD  NOTES   WILD. 

Music  IN  NATURE.  —  Contin. 

The  wood-pewee  sings  long  and  well-sustained  tones :  — 


p 


r     i          '     .  r     i        i.       r 


The  song  of  the  meadow  lark  is  very  choice  in  point  of 
melody,  often  beginning  with  — 


«J 

and  soon  adding  — 


«fAb   r    J 


n  Lf  J  LT II 


and,  further  on,  — 


mm 


c       C. 


Nor  is  this  all  the  beautiful  melody  of  the  meadow  lark. 

"  A  few  mornings  since  I  heard  a  chewink  singing  the 
first  strain  of  £Kock  of  Ages,'  cutting  it  a  little  short 
with  a  trill:  — 


I  have  remembered  for  forty  years  the  song  of  an  oriole, 
illustrating  the  old  form  of  the  minor  scale,  —  the  seventh 
sharp  ascending,  natural  descending :  — 


APPENDIX.  119 

Music  IN  NATURE.  —  Contin. 

The  thrushes  and  the  sparrows,  our  greatest  songsters,  — 
I  will  not  ask  them  to  help  me  in  my  reply.  I  have 
heard  a  cock  crow  an  exclamatory  phrase  in  the  oratorio 
of  the  '  Seven  Sleepers  ' :  — 


O        Pro  -  con  -  sol. 

And  where  did  we  get  'Old  Dan  Tucker'?  From  the 
hen  as  she  quits  the  nest,  singing  her  inherited  song  of 
rejoicing.1 

"  But  I  do  not  need  the  birds  ;  the  four-footed  kind  can 
render  answer.  One  winter  morning,  when  everything 
was  '  frozen  solid,'  our  old  Morgan  mare,  Fanny,  saluted 
me  with  a  clear  scale-exercise,  worthy  in  performance 
of  a  skilful  artist  on  the  trombone  :  — 


The  next  morning  the  weather  had  changed;  it  was 
thawing,  all  was  soft  and  sloppy.  Not  a  note  from 
Fanny  till  I  had  walked  the  length  of  the  barn  and 
come  in  full  sight  of  her.  Then  in  a  subdued  voice 
she  called,  — 


ft 


A  yearling  colt,  spying  a  strange  horse  at  the  hitching- 
post,  sent  him  this  challenge :  — 

1  See  Index,  Hen  Music. 


120  WOOD  NOTES   WILD 

Music  IN  NATURE.  —  Contin. 

r  r  r  r 


Two  young  bulls  once  gave  me  a  musical  entertainment  :  — 


^ 


Moo-uh,moo-uh,moo-uh,moo-uh.  Boo-uh,  boo-uh,  boo-uh0  boo  -  uh. 

No.  2. 


Number  two  reversed  the  order.  This  was  while,  with 
nose  to  the  ground,  he  was  pawing,  throwing  dirt  over 
his  back  and  playing  the  dare-devil  generally.  Enough 
of  this,  and  he  thrust  up  his  nose  and  trumpeted,  — 

Moo  -  uh,      moo  -  uh,       moo  -  uh,       moo  -  uh. 

It  was  interesting  to  learn  that  there  was  no  departure 
from  the  key  in  the  long  interval  of  a  tenth,  —  an  octave 
and  a  third.  The  forceful  tone  on  C  sharp  was  in  tune.1' 

For  music  in  Nature,  continued,  see  Index,  Music  in  Nature. 


Newness  of  the  Field.    (See  p.  i.) 

"  Those  pages  of  bird  talk  you  sent  me  are  read  at  last. 
They  have  some  good  points. 


APPENDIX.  121 

NEWNESS  OF  THE  FIELD.  —  Contin. 

"  I  have  seen  no  bird  music  that  is  not  strained  and  un- 
natural ;  but  I  must  say  nothing  '  out  loud/  I  am  familiar 
with  the  songs  of  these  birds,  and  find  nothing  here  that 
I  have  heard.  Now  then,  tell  me  who  the  author  is  and 
when  he  wrote."  —  Letter  from  S.  P.  C.  in  response  to  an  article 
extracted  from  an  American  Magazine  of  1858,  and  sent  him  by  the 
editor  of  the  present  volume.  Date,  November,  1889. 

Our  author,  unfamiliar  as  he  was  with  the  literature 
of  bird  music,  regarded  himself  as  standing  pretty  much 
alone ;  the  field  was  to  him  decidedly  new.  Would  he 
have  felt  differently  had  he  made  an  extended  survey 
of  it?  W.  J.  Broderip  published  the  third  edition  of 
his  "Zoological  Eecreations"  in  1857,  giving  in  one  of 
the  earlier  chapters  the  pith  of  the  famous  paper  by 
Daines  Barrington,  published  in  the  Philosophical  Trans- 
actions of  1773.  He  says :  — 

"  The  Hon.  Daines  Barrington,  who  paid  much  attention  to 
this  subject,  remarks  that  some  passages  of  the  song  in  a  few 
kinds  of  birds  correspond  with  the  intervals  of  our  musical 
scale;  but  that  much  the  greater  part  of  such  a  song  is  not 
capable  of  musical  notation.  He  attributes  this  to  the  follow- 
ing causes :  first,  because  the  rapidity  is  often  so  great,  and  it 
is  also  so  uncertain  where  they  may  stop,  that  it  is  impossible 
to  reduce  the  passages  to  form  a  musical  bar  in  any  time  what- 
soever ;  secondly,  on  account  of  the  pitch  of  most  birds  being 
considerably  higher  than  the  most  shrill  notes  of  instruments 
of  the  greatest  compass ;  and  lastly,  because  the  intervals  used 
by  birds  are  commonly  so  minute  that  we  cannot  judge  at  all 
of  them  from  the  more  gross  intervals  into  which  our  musical 
octave  is  divided. 


122  WOOD  NOTES   WILD. 

NEWNESS  OF  THE  FIELD.  —  Contin. 

"  Barrington  defines  a  bird's  song  to  be  a  succession  of  three 
or  more  different  notes,  which  are  continued  without  interrup- 
tion during  the  same  interval  with  a  musical  bar  of  four  crotch- 
ets in  an  adagio  movement,  or  whilst  a  pendulum  swings  four 
seconds.  Now  let  us  see  what  notes  have  been  detected  in  the 
song.  Observers  have  marked  F  natural  in  woodlarks ;  A  in 
thrushes ;  C  falling  to  A  commonly  in  the  cuckoo ;  A  natural 
in  common  cocks ;  B  flat  in  a  very  large  cock ;  D  in  some 
owls  ;  B  flat  in  others.  Thus  we  have  A,  B  flat,  C,  D,  and  F, 
to  which  Barrington  adds  G,  from  his  own  observations  on  a 
nightingale  which  lived  three  years  in  a  cage ;  and  he  confirms 
the  remarks  of  the  observer  who  furnished  him  with  the  list, 
and  says  he  has  frequently  heard  from  the  same  bird  C  and  F. 
To  prove  the  precision  of  the  pitch  of  these  notes,  the  B  flat  of 
the  spinuet  by  which  he  tried  them  was  perfectly  in  tune  with 
the  great  bell  of  St.  Paul's.  E,  then,  is  the  only  note  wanting 
to  complete  the  scale ;  but,  as  he  says,  the  six  other  notes  afford 
sufficient  data  for  making  some  conjectures  with  regard  to  the 
key  in  which  birds  may  be  supposed  to  sing,  as  these  intervals 
can  only  be  found  in  the  key  of  F  with  a  sharp  third,  or  that 
of  G  with  a  flat  third ;  and  he  supposed  it  to  be  the  plaintive 
flat  third,  that  affecting  tone  which,  in  the  simple  ballad,  or 
'wild  and  sad*  chorus,  so  comes  home  to  our  bosoms.  .  .  . 
Barrington  pronounces  in  favor  of  the  flat  third  because  he 
agrees  with  Lucretius  that  man  first  learned  musical  notes 
from  birds,  and  because  the  cuckoo,  whose  ( plain  song'  has 
been  most  attended  to,  performs  it  in  a  flat  third." 

This  brings  us  down  to  1857  in  England,  —  indeed,  we 
may  say  on  the  European  continent,  —  and  if  we  are  to 
trust  a  philosopher  thoroughly  versed  in  the  structure 
of  music,  no  advance  was  made,  to  say  the  least,  in  the 
next  thirty  years.  "No  one  who  has  taken  the  very 


APPENDIX.  123 

NEWNESS  OF  THE  FIELD.  —  Contin. 

first  steps  in  the  philosophical  study  of  the  structure  of 
music  could  entertain  the  idea  that  the  sounds  naturally 
emitted  by  birds  .  .  .  were  entitled  to  be  called  either 
music  or  melody."  So  writes  Wm.  Pole  in  "  Nature  "  for 
August  11,  1887.  While  it  is  the  intent  of  the  editor 
to  collate  simply,  not  to  criticise,  he  is  moved  to  inquire 
if  the  notations  grouped  below,  besides  showing  the  ex- 
tension of  the  field  as  surveyed  in  England  in  the  last 
quarter  of  the  17th  century  and  as  practically  left  one 
hundred  years  later,  do  not  constitute  a  sufficient  answer 
to  the  author  of  "A  Year  with  the  Birds,"  M.  H.  R,  to 
the  writer  on  "  Sportsman's  Music,"  to  the  author  of 
"  Music  and  Morals,"  and  to  the  distinguished  contributor 
to  "Nature"  for  August  11, 1887.  The  writer  last  men- 
tioned says : — 

"We  arrive,  therefore,  at  the  conclusion  that  the  essential 
feature  of  music,  its  minimum  component,  must  be  a  combina- 
tion of  sounds  of  different  pitches,  these  pitches  being  moreover 
strictly  fixed  and  defined,  and  their  relations  to  each  other  cor- 
responding to  certain  series  agreed  on  and  adopted  as  standard 
musical  scales.  Such  combination  will  of  itself  constitute  music ; 
we  may  add  all  sorts  of  other  features,  but  without  the  above 
essential  foundation  we  cannot  have  music,  in  an  artistic  point 
of  view." 

What  "  component "  of  the  "  essential  foundation "  is 
lacking  in  this  group  of  melodies? 

CHICKADEES,  singing  responses. 

f  r  jr   r  if  r  r  .fr   r^ 


124 


WOOD  NOTES   WILD. 


NEWNESS  OF  THE  FIELD.  —  Contin. 


I 


MEADOW  LABK. 

/•""*  /7\ 


/T\    . 


HERMIT  THRUSH. 


WOOD  THRUSH. 


See.  Index,  Sully,  J. 

"  I  have  corrected  the  proof-sheets  of  Bluebird  and 
Eobin,  and  they  look  much  more  interesting  than  I 
thought  they  would.  When  I  compare  my  work  with 
any  that  I  have  seen,  I  confess  to  you  privately  that 
I  cannot  help  feeling  a  little  proud.  It  was  quite  excit- 
ing to  see  my  thoughts  up  in  secluded  Dorset  in  print,  — 
these  and  the  notes  of  birds  that  have  been  so  long 
neglected.  It  gave  me  a  new  feeling;  I  had  actually 
done  something.  Why,  sir,  it  is  astonishing  to  read  the 
childish  writing  about  the  music  of  the  birds.  And  the 
one  man  who  has  done  the  most  in  the  way  of  putting 
bird  music  on  paper  is  often  wide  of  the  mark."  —  c.,  S.  P., 
in  a  letter  dated  May,  1889. 

The  reference  here  is  to  the  author  of  "Birds  and 
Seasons  of  New  England,"  now  published  under  title, 
"A  Year  with  the  Birds." 


APPENDIX. 


125 


NEWNESS  OF  THE  FIELD.  —  Contin. 

While  the  old  singing-master  always  spoke  admiringly 
of  Mr.  Flagg,  in  his  estimation  the  musician  fell  far  short 
of  the  naturalist  and  the  man.  When  we  compare  the 
reports  of  the  two  of  the  song-sparrow's  music  it  is  not 
surprising  that  he  could  not  concur  with  him  when  he 
wrote  of  his  seven  illustrations,  "All  the  variations  of 
his  song  are  given  below." 

SONG  SPARROW.  —  Flagg  :  A  Year  with  the  Birds,  p.  15. 
No.  1.  Theme. 


No.  2.  Brisk. 


guttural. 


_  No.  3.  Joyful. 


SONG-SPABROW. — Cheney.    (See  Index,  Song-Sparrow. ) 


1. 


126  WOOD  NOTES   WILD. 

Music  in  Nature.    (See  p.  2.) 
VESPER-MICE. 

Buckland,  F:  Log-book  of  a  Fisherman  and  Zoologist  (London, 
1875),  pp.  103,  104.  Mr.  Buckland  says,  "The  song  is  a  genuine  song, 
as  good  and  as  musical  as  that  of  a  lark  on  a  fine  summer  morning." 

Davis,  W.  T.,  in  Amer.  Nat.,  vol.  xxiii.,  1889,  pp.  481-484.  —  Ed- 
wards, W.  H.,  in  Amer.  Nat.,  vol.  iii.,  1870,  p.  551.  —  Lockwood,  Rev. 
S. :  A  singing  hesperomys.  (Amer.  Nat.,  vol.  v.,  1871,  p.  761.)  —  Nature, 
voL  xvi.,  1877,  p.  558;  vol.  xvii.,  1877,  pp.  11,  29. 

Nor  is  music  confined  to  the  shore. 
EEL  AND  FISH. 

See  Abbott,  Dr.  C.  C. :  Waste-land  Wanderings,  pp.  300-302.  — 
Edinburgh  Philos.  Journ.,  vol.  xiv.  p.  188.  —  Musical  Fishes.  (Pop. 
Sci.  Mo.,  vol.  xxiii.,  Aug.,  1883,  p.  571.)  — Peal,  S.  E. :  Voice  in  Fish. 
(Nature,  vol.  xxi.,  Nov.,  1879,  p.  55).  — Tennent,  Sir  J.  E. :  Sketches  of 
Nat.  Hist,  of  Ceylon  (London,  1861),  pp.  380-385.  —  White,  Rev.  G. : 
Nat.  Hist.  Selborne,  ed.  by  E.  Jesse  (London,  1878),  p.  245,  note. — 
Yarrell,  W. :  Hist,  of  Brit.  Fishes,  vol.  i.,  pp.  44,  107. 

"  A  party  lately  crossing  from  the  promontory  in  Salsette  called  the 
*  Neat's  Tongue,'  to  near  Sewree,  were  about  sunset  struck  by  hearing 
long,  distinct  sounds  like  the  protracted  booming  of  a  distant  bell,  the 
dying  cadence  of  an  ^Eolian  harp,  the  note  of  a  pitch-pipe  or  pitch-fork, 
or  any  other  long-drawn-out  musical  note.  It  was  at  first  supposed  to  be 
music  from  Parell  floating  at  intervals  on  the  breeze ;  then  it  was  per- 
ceived to  come  from  all  directions  almost  in  equal  strength,  and  to  arise 
from  the  surface  of  the  water  all  round  the  vessel.  The  boatmen  at  once 
intimated  that  the  sounds  were  produced  by  fish  abounding  in  the  muddy 
creeks  and  shoals  around  Bombay  and  Salsette ;  they  were  perfectly  well 
known,  and  very  often  heard.  Accordingly,  on  inclining  the  ear  towards 
the  surface  of  the  water ;  or,  better  still,  by  placing  it  close  to  the  planks 
of  the  vessel,  the  notes  appeared  loud  and  distinct,  and  followed  each  other 
in  constant  succession.  The  boatman  next  day  produced  specimens  of  the 
fish,  —  a  creature  closely  resembling  in  size  and  shape  the  fresh-water 
perch  of  the  north  of  Europe,  —  and  spoke  of  them  as  plentiful  and  per- 
fectly well  known."  —  Dr.  Buist,  in  Bombay  Times,  January,  1847. 


V*     I 


APPENDIX.  127 

Music  IN  NATURE.  —  Contin. 

A  record  of  "  musical  sounds  like  the  prolonged  notes  on  the  harp," 
proceeding  from  under  water,  is  to  be  found  in  "Bombay  Times," 
Feb.  13,  1849. 

FROG. 

Wheelwright,  H.  W.  (Ten  Years  in  Sweden,  London,  1865),  men- 
tions a  little  frog  (Bombinator  igneus)  which  has  a  love-tune  like  the 
ringing  of  bells. 

" '  New  Views  in  Natural  History,  leading  up  to  the  Perfectly  Authentic 
History  of  an  Interesting  but  Unfortunate  Frog/  is  the  queer  title  of  a 
pamphlet  recently  published  in  a  French  country  town  by  a  good  abbe'. 
It  tells  a  simple  and  touching  story  of  a  melodious  frog.  The  abbe 
relates  how  he  called  one  day  upon  a  sick  man,  one  of  the  poorest  of 
his  parishioners,  who,  in  honor  of  the  priest's  visit,  threw  into  the  fire- 
place a  few  branches,  which  blazed  up  into  a  bright  flame. 

"Presently  there  appeared,  from  under  an  old  worm-eaten  chest,  which 
was  the  sole  article  of  furniture  in  the  room,  an  enormous  frog,  which 
hopped  along  toward  the  blaze.  The  frog  seemed  to  be  at  home,  and 
so  he  was.  He  was  the  sick  man's  only  friend. 

"  The  abbe  regarded  the  animal  with  interest.  Thereupon  the  peasant, 
in  order  to  repay  the  priest  for  his  attention  to  his  pet,  gave  an  exhibition 
of  the  frog's  accomplishments.  In  a  nasal  voice,  the  peasant  began  sing- 
ing one  of  the  old  French  ballads  that  have  come  down  from  the  time 
of  King  Dagobert  —  one  of  the  simplest  of  songs,  both  in  words  and 
music.  '  What  was  my  astonishment,'  writes  the  abbe, '  to  hear  the  frog, 
after  the  man  had  sung  one  couplet  of  his  song,  take  up  the  note  upon 
which  the  man  had  ended,  and  to  utter  his  la,  drop  to^a,  go  up  to  la 
again,  and  then  down  to  mi,  with  a  precision  worthy  of  a  choir-master. 
And  these  notes,  la, fa,  la,  mi,  the  frog  repeated  regularly  and  correctly, 
in  a  tone  guttural  and  sweet,  after  every  couplet  that  the  mau  sang,  like 
a  sort  of  chorus.  The  notes  were  plaintive  and  a  little  veiled,  with  a 
touch  of  melancholy  and  regret,  and  sounded  much  like  an  old-fashioned 
harmonica.' 

"The  abbe'  describes  also  the  expressive  pantomime  that  the  frog  went 
through  as  he  sang  his  notes.  He  looked  tenderly  toward  his  master, 
with  an  expression  as  if  he  really  desired  to  please,  and  felt  also  a  wish 
to  have  his  performance  appreciated. 

"  This  was,  unfortunately,  the  only  performance  by  the  frog  that  the 
abbe  witnessed.  The  poor  man  died  a  few  days  afterward,  and  the 
singing  frog  disappeared.  No  one  knows  what  became  of  him."  —  News- 
paper clipping. 


128  WOOD  NOTES   WILD. 

Music  IN  NATURE.  —  Contin. 

CRICKET. 

A  cricket  (Chlorocoelus  Tanana)  is  caged,  like  a  bird,  for  its  song. — 
Bates,  H.  W. :  The  Naturalist  on  the  River  Amazons,  pp.  132-134. 

German  youths  are  so  fond  of  cricket  music  that  they  u  carry  their 
boxes  of  crickets  into  their  bedrooms  at  night,  and  are  soothed  to  sleep 
with  their  chirping  lullaby."  —  Jaeger,  B.  :  Life  of  North  Amer.  Insects, 
p.  Ill 

And  did  not  a  similar  custom  prevail  in  ancient  Greece  ? 

"  In  the  common  field-cricket  of  Europe  the  male  has  been  observed  to 
place  itself,  in  the  evening,  at  the  entrance  of  its  burrow,  and  stridulate 
until  a  female  approaches,  when  the  louder  notes  are  succeeded  by  a  more 
subdued  tone,  whilst  the  successful  musician  caresses  with  his  antennae  the 
mate  he  has  won.  Any  one  who  will  take  the  trouble  may  observe  a  sim- 
ilar proceeding  in  the  common  house-cricket.  The  nature  and  object  of 
this  insect  music  are  more  uniform  than  the  structure  and  situation  of  the 
instrument  by  which  it  is  produced."  —  Bates,  H.  W. :  The  Naturalist  on 
the  River  Amazons,  p.  133. 

ANT. 

See  Forbes,  H.  O.  r  Sound-producing  Ants.  (Nature,  vol.  xxiv., 
1881,  pp.  101-102.)  —  Peal,  S.  E. :  Sounds  made  by  Ants.  (Nature,  vol. 
xxii.,  1880,  p.  583;  vol.  xxiv.,  1881,  p.  485.) 

For  other  of  Nature's  musicians,  see  Baird,  S.  F.,  in  Ann.  Record 
of  Science,  1877,  pp.  282,  309.  —  Francheschini,  R. :  Musical  Insects, 
5  pp.  (Pop.  Sci.  Mo.,  vol.  xxxix.,  Sept.,  1891.)  —  Gardiner,  W. :  Music 
of  Nature,  chap.  14.  —  Hinrichs,  Miss  A. :  Summer's  Natural  Orchestra, 
2  pp.  ( Pop.  Sci.  News,  vol.  xxv.,  Sept.,  1 891 . )  —  Landois,  H.,  in  Das  Aus- 
land,  vol.  xliii.,  1870,  pp.  429,  430.  —  Die  musikalischen  Insecten  und 
ihre  Instrumente.  ( Gartenlaube,  1872,  pp.  698,  699.)  —  Schele  de  Vere, 
M.  R.  B.  :  Music  in  Nature.  (Putnam's  Mag.,  N.  s.  vol.  vi.,  1870,  pp. 
173-182.)  —  Unknown  tongues,  in  his  Stray  leaves  from  the  Book  of 
Nature,  p.  241,  N.  Y.,  1856.  — Scudder,  S.  H.,  in  Am.  Naturalist,  vol. 
ii.,  1868,  p.  113.  — Sterne,  Cams:  Das  erste  Standchen.  (Gartenlaube, 
1875,  pp.  787-789.)  — Wilson,  Dr.  A.:  Songs  without  words.  (Eclec. 
Mag.,  N.  s.  vol.  xxxvi.,  1882,  pp.  737-745.) 

For  Stridulating  Crustaceans  see  Nature,  vol.  xviii.,  1878,  pp.  53,  95. 


APPENDIX.  129 

Music  IN  NATURE.  —  Contin. 

Any  expression  of  doubt  as  to  the  existence  of  music  in 
Nature  was  sure  to  be  promptly  met  by  our  author.  On 
one  occasion  he  burst  out,  "  That  sort  of  talk  should  come 
only  from  the  fellows  that  find  their  cuckoo  music  in  the 
top  of  a  Dutch  clock.  The  trombone  blasts  of  the  peacock 
are  in  melodic  steps,  the  horse  uses  both  the  diatonic  and 
the  chromatic  scale,  and  the  ass  jerks  out  his  frightful 
salute  in  perfect  octaves.1  All  things  have  music  in  the 
rough,  from  the  insect  with  a  fiddle  on  its  back2  up  to 
behemoth." 

Carlyle  says  that  the  heart  of  Nature  is  music,  and 
Niagara,3  Mammoth  Cave,4  the  sonorous  sands  and  musical 
stones  seem  to  bear  him  out.  Illustrations  of  music  in 
Nature  are  to  be  found  in  a  paper  "On  Melody  in 
Speech " 6  by  Dr.  E.  Weber  (an  English  organist) : 

1  The  vocal  skill  of  the  horse  and  of  the  ass  are  united,  it  seems,  in  a 
four-footed  singer  from  afar.    "  An  ape,  one  of  the  Gibbons,  produces  an 
exact  octave  of  musical  sounds,  ascending  and  descending  the  scale  by 
half-tones ;  so  that  this  monkey  *  alone  of  brute  mammals  may  be  said 
to  sing.'  "  —  Darwin. 

2  This  expression  suggested  the  design  on  the  cover  of  the  present 
volume.    Reverse  it,  and  we  have  a  fair  description  of  what  old  Father 
Kircher  found  on  an  antique  gem  and  transferred  to  the  title-page  of 
the  Musurgia.    The  old  music-loving  monk  being  the  first,  so  far  as  we 
know,  to  write  down  the  bird  songs,  it  has  seemed  proper  to  link  to  him, 
by  this  pretty  badge,  the  last  lover  of  music  and  Nature  to  busy  himself 
in  the  same  delightful  sort  of  reporting.    The  broken  harp  and  the  sing- 
ing insect  may  well  be  perpetuated  as  the  emblem  of  the  guild. 

8  Niagara.  See  Thayer,  E.  M. :  Music  of  Niagara.  (Scribner's  Mag., 
vol.  xxi.,  1880,  pp.  583-586.) 

4  Mammoth  Cave,  Music  in  the,  in  Litt.  Liv.  Age,  vol.  Ixviii.,  1861, 
p.  289. 

6  Music  in  Speech,  in  Philos.  Trans.,  vol.  ii.,  p.  441.  Same  article  in 
Litt.  Liv.  Age,  vol.  1.,  1856,  p.  228. 

9 


130  WOOD  NOTES   WILD. 

Music  IN  NATURE.  —  Contin. 

"Longman's  Magazine,"  vol.  ix.,  1877,  pp.  399-411.  (See 
Index,  Weber,  F.)  A  reply  by  Wm.  Pole  is  to  be  found 
in  "Nature,"  vol.  xxxvi.  pp.  343-345. 

See  Index,  Fowler,  W.  W.  —  Pole,  Wm.  —  B.,  M.  H.  —  Weber, 
Dr.F. 

Dr.  Weber,  referring  to  his  article  in  a  letter  to  the 
editor,  dated  Jan.  5,  1891,  says:  "It  is  said  that  an 
American  organist  claims  to  have  discovered  the  principal 
tone  and  its  harmonics  which  the  waters  of  Niagara  are 
continually  singing,  to  be  four  octaves  below  the  following : 


By  the  law  of  harmonics  there   ought  to  be  another 
tone,  B, — 


which  the  organist  must  have  overlooked.  These  tones 
are  the  natural  tones  of  the  French  horn  and  the  trom- 
bone, and  may  be  easily  produced  as  harmonics  on  the 
long  Violoncello  or  Double  Bass  strings." 

Structure  of  Melody. 

HUMAN  Music  AND  ANIMAL  Music.    (See  p.  2.) 

"  It  has  been  found  by  Helmholtz  that  the  most  natural  successions 
follow  the  order  of  the  harmonics  or  upper-tones,  which,  as  we  have  ob- 
served, enter  into  rich  notes  or  clangs.  That  is  to  say,  the  most  natural 
sequence  is  such  as  passes  from  the  fundamental  to  one  of  the  prominent 


APPENDIX.  131 

STRUCTURE  OF  MELODY.     Human  and  Animal  Music.  —  Contin. 

upper-tones,  —  for  example,  to  the  octave  above ;  the  next  natural,  such  as 
passes  to  a  second  note  which  possesses  an  upper-tone  in  common  with  the 
first,  —  e.  g.,  to  the  fifth  above.  In  such  cases,  according  to  Helmholtz,  the 
ear  is  gratified  by  a  vague  sense  of  similarity  in  diversity,  since  the  second 
note,  in  spite  of  its  difference,  retains  an  element  of  the  first  note.  Over 
and  above  this,  the  ear  appears  to  derive  pleasure  from  a  succession  of 
notes  which  are  near  one  another  in  the  scale ;  that  is  to  say,  which  form 
a  small  interval  as  to  pitch.  By  means  of  such  steps  (our  smallest  modern 
interval  is  a  semitone)  we  are  able  to  measure  the  several  upward  and 
downward  movements  of  a  melody. 

"  Finally,  it  is  to  be  observed  that  one  essential  of  melody,  according 
to  our  modern  notions,  is  the  presence  of  some  ruling  tone  or  key-note, 
which  serves  as  a  starting-point  and  a  resting-place  for  the  melody,  and  in 
reference  to  which  the  position  of  all  the  successive  notes  of  the  tune  is 
estimated. 

"  If  now  we  take  a  careful  survey  of  animal  music  we  shall  find  that  all 
these  elements  of  human  melody  are  to  some  extent  represented.  Thus 
we  shall  see  that  it  makes  use  of  discrete  notes  of  definite  pitch,  of  a  wide 
variety  of  timbre,  of  time  relations  or  rhythm,  of  melodic  affinities,  and 
even  in  a  measure  of  tonality  or  key.  This  statement  may,  no  doubt,  ap- 
pear an  exaggeration  to  those  of  our  readers  who  have  never  examined 
and  analyzed  the  music  of  the  woods  which  has  so  often  delighted  their 
ears.  We  can  only  ask  them  to  defer  forming  an  opinion  till  they  have 
the  facts  before  them. 

"  It  cannot  be  said  that  birds  have  a  very  good  ear  for  time.  In  many 
songs  there  is  hardly  anything  deserving  of  the  name  of  rhythm,  so  capri- 
cious and  irregular  are  the  sequences.  And  even  in  the  case  of  the  higher 
and  more  elaborate  songs  it  is  difficult  to  reduce  the  succession  of  notes 
to  a  time-order  like  that  of  our  bar-system.  Perhaps  we  ought  not  to  be 
surprised  at  this,  seeing  that  the  pleasure  of  time  involves  complex  intel- 
lectual actions.  Nevertheless,  there  is  clearly  an  adumbration  of  the 
simpler  forms  of  rhythm  in  bird-song.  Thus  it  is  not  uncommon  to  meet 
with  notes  which  are  held  twice  and  three  times  as  long  as  others,  and  so 
on,  —  a  fact  which  clearly  implies  the  existence  of  a  nascent  sense  of  dura- 
tion and  power  of  comparison. 

"  With  respect  to  the  melodic  relations  of  notes,  bird-song  shows  a  con- 
siderable degree  of  true  artistic  insight.  We  find  each  principle,  that  of 
continuous  steps  and  that  of  harmonic  intervals,  clearly  illustrated. 


132  WOOD  NOTES   WILD. 

STRUCTURE  OF  MELODY.     Human  and  Animal  Music.  —  Contin. 

"  The  harmonic  affinities  of  notes  are  clearly  perceived  and  selected  by 
most  singing-birds.  Thus  among  the  commonest  intervals  are  the  fifth 
and  fourth,  both  of  which  are  marked  by  the  presence  of  a  common  partial 
tone.  The  octave,  though  a  more  closely  related  interval  than  either  of 
these,  appears  less  frequently  than  they  do.  The  twelfth,  too,  which 
stands  almost  on  a  level  with  the  octave  in  point  of  harmonic  affinity,  is 
to  be  met  with  occasionally. 

"  As  to  key,  or  tonality,  birds  may  be  said  to  recognize  and  embody 
this  element  of  human  melody,  in  so  far  as  their  song  naturally  falls  in  a 
certain  key,  and  is  always  executed  in  one  and  the  same  key.  On  the 
other  hand,  these  feathered  musicians  seem  to  have  little  or  no  notion  of 
setting  out  from  and  returning  to  one  particular  note.  They  are  wont  to 
break  off  in  the  most  capricious  way  at  any  point  in  their  melody  without 
the  least  sense  of  incongruity.  Thus  it  cannot  be  said  that  birds  show  any 
clear  appreciation  of  tonality.  And  this  is  not  to  be  wondered  at,  seeing 
that  such  a  perception  presupposes  considerable  intellectual  power,  and  that 
even  in  the  case  of  human  music  the  principle  of  tonality  only  becomes 
prominent  when  the  art  has  reached  a  certain  stage  of  development."  — 
Sully,  James:  Animal  Music.  (Cornhill  Mag.,  vol.  xl.,  Nov.,  1879,  p.  605.) 

"  And  yet  is  n't  it  strange  that  bird  music  is  not  tiresome?  My  memory 
recalls  for  me  parts  of  California  where  the  meadow  lark's  'silver  whistle* 
(our  Eastern  fellow  gives  no  idea  of  it)  is  almost  the  only  bird-song  heard 
the  year  round ;  and  yet,  though  it  is  heard  superabundantly,  't  is  never  a 
whit  less  fresh  and  charming  than  at  first.  All  this  gives  me  a  feeling 
that  there  is  something  more  than  a  difference  of  degree  between  human 
and  bird  music.  What  is  the  difference "?  To  my  thought,  bird  melody 
resembles  the  Swiss  mountaineer's  yodle  on  his  horn,  which  one  hears  the 
year  round  with  delight,  while  if  he  played  the  '  Star-Spangled  Banner ' 
nightly  we  would  begin  cursing  him  at  the  end  of  a  month.  'T  is  indefi- 
nite, unspecialized  music,  not  narrowed  to  the  expression  of  a  specific  sen- 
timent. Probably  you  will  remind  me  that  there  is  a  deeper  problem  yet : 
what  do  the  birds  themselves  think  of  it  ?  What  does  Mrs.  Robin  think 
when  at  summer's  end  she  finds  Mr.  Robin  singing  the  same  song  as  at 
summer's  beginning,  or  nearly  the  same  ?  Can  you  find  some  open-minded 
robin  down  in  Franklin,  ere  long,  and  let  me  know  the  truth  of  it,  accord- 
ing to  his  view  ?  "  —  Clark,  Xenos,  in  a  letter  to  the  author,  dated  Sept.  7, 1888, 
Monterey,  Berkshire  County,  Mass. 

"  To  vocal  and  instrumental  music  he  preferred  that  of  birds ;  not  from 
being  incapable  of  finding  delight  in  the  others  also,  but  because  human 
music  leaves  in  the  mind  a  continual  agitation  which  disturbs  both  atten- 


APPENDIX.  133 

STRUCTURE  OF  MELODY.    Human  and  Animal  Music.  —  Contin. 

tion  and  sleep,  .  .  .  whereas  no  such  effect  can  be  left  from  the  modulation 
of  birds,  because  those  modulations,  not  being  equally  imitable  by  us, 
cannot  affect  our  internal  faculties  in  the  same  degree/'  —  Gassendi,  P.,  in 
Vita  Peireskii. 


Harmonic  Affinities  in  Bird  Music.    (See  p.  6.) 

For  an  interesting  article  on  harmonic  affinities  as  per- 
ceived and  selected  by  the  birds,  the  reader  is  referred 
to  the  late  Mr.  Xenos  Clark's  "  Animal  Music,  its  Nature 
and  Origin  "  (American  Naturalist,  vol.  xiii.,  April,  1879, 
pp.  209-223.) 

"The  perfect  fifths,  fourths,  thirds,  and  octaves,"  he 
writes,  "have  a  marked  predominance,  their  proportion 
of  the  whole  number  being  respectively  twenty-seven 
per  cent,  twenty-five  per  cent,  twenty-six  per  cent,  and 
nine  per  cent,  or  taken  all  four  together,  eighty-seven 
per  cent,  as  against  thirteen  per  cent  of  the  remaining 
five  intervals." 

Of  course  the  notations  on  which  such  calculations  are 
based  must  be  correct  or  nothing  is  proven.  A  like  cal- 
culation based  on  an  equal  number  of  the  author's  nota- 
tions, selected  from  the  songs  of  the  choicer  vocalists, 
would  bring  the  percentage  perhaps  still  higher. 

Dr.  Weber,  the  organist,  before  quoted,  says,  "The 
intervals  we  observe  most  in  the  voices  of  animals  are 
fifths,  octaves,  and  thirds,  and  also  fourths  and  sixths." 

"  The  cases  of  the  starling,  the  piping  bullfinch,  and  the  mocking-bird, 
which  can  be  taught  to  whistle  a  tune,  show  the  same  power  still  more 
highly  developed.  These  instances  prove  not  merely  susceptibility  to  mu- 
sical sounds,  but  also  a  capacity  for  distinguishing  the  harmonic  intervals. 
It  is  stated  that  some  birds,  even  in  the  wild  state,  display  considerable 


134  WOOD  NOTES   WILD. 

HARMONIC  AFFINITIES  IN  BIRD  Music.  —  Contin. 

knowledge  of  the  musical  scale;  and  a  San  Francisco  naturalist1  is  at 
present  engaged  upon  a  work  in  which  he  hopes  to  show  that  the  human 
ear  posesses  in  this  respect  merely  a  more  highly  developed  form  of  the 
common  vertebrate  sensibility.  When  we  reflect  upon  the  purely  physi- 
cal and  physiological  basis,  which,  as  Helmholtz  has  taught  us,  underlies 
the  musical  intervals  and  the  distinctions  of  harmony  and  discord,  there 
is  certainly  no  reason  why  they  should  not  be  perceived  by  all  the  higher 
animals  alike,  in  a  greater  or  less  degree/'  —  Allen,  G. :  ^Esthetic  Feeling  in 
Birds.  (Pop.  Sci.  Mo.,  vol.  xvii.,  September,  1880,  pp.  653-654.) 

Genesis  of  Bird  Song.    (See  p.  5.) 

"  From  all  we  can  gather  it  appears  most  probable  that  in  its  present 
form  our  song-bird  proper  —  our  bird  with  a  song  to  sing  —  is  not  much 
older  than  man ;  that  he  found  his  song  just  in  time  to  gladden  the  ears  of 
God's  last  and  greatest  creation ;  that  he  struggled  through  countless  ages 
and  awful  changes  in  order  to  fit  himself  for  our  entertainment.2  Think 

1  Probably  Mr.  Xenos  Clark,  who  was  at  one  time  on  the  Pacific  Coast. 

2  The  Rev.  Charles  Kingsley  credits  the  birds  with  instruction  as  well 
as  entertainment.     In  his  opinion  they  set  the  key-note  for  the  songs 
of  the  old  poets ;  the  mediaeval  bards  borrowed  liberally  from  the  birds 
(A  Charm  of  Birds,  Eraser's  Mag.,  vol.  Ixxv.,  June,  1867,  p.  802). 

Both  Gardiner  and  Kingsley  were  anticipated,  however,  by  a  nameless 
magaziner :  — 

"We  have  alluded  to  the  rapid  passages  in  the  song  of  birds,  the 
succession  of  soft  and  loud  sounds,  the  contrast  between  quick  and  slow 
notes.  Is  it  quite  improbable  that  these,  and  perhaps  other  peculiarities 
in  their  melodic  exertions,  may  have  furnished  hints  for  imitation  ?  or 
must  we  produce  vouchers  of  crotchets  and  quavers  ?  Let  the  following 
bars  of  a  favorite  waltz,  of  German  composition,  be  played  on  the 
flageolet :  — 


And  again  the  following :  — 


sfe£ 


APPENDIX.  135 

GENESIS  OF  BIRD  SONG.  —  Contin. 

what  the  avian  race  has  endured  since "  first  Archaeopteryx  felt  the  feath- 
ers begin  to  bud  in  his  arms !  What  a  long,  slow,  hesitating,  faltering 
current  of  development,  from  a  scaly  amphibian  of  the  paleozoic  time, 
up,  up,  to  the  glorious  state  of  the  nightingale  and  the  mocking-bird ! l 

These  specimens,  if  imagination  carry  us  not  too  far,  seem  to  us  direct 
imitations  of  some  wilder  melodies  of  birds,  probably  of  the  nightingale ; 
and  we  could  produce  others  of  a  similar  nature,  to  us  equally  striking. 

"  But  we  beg  the  cuckoo's  pardon ;  we  had  almost  left  him  out  of  the 
catalogue  of  professors.  The  cuckoo,  we  are  convinced,  has  furnished 
an  important  hint  to  the  human  race. 

"  The  cuckoo  has  but  two  notes  at  his  command ;  these  notes  are  al- 
ways the  same,  and  strictly  appreciable ;  and  their  interval  is  invariably 
that  of  the  minor  third,  sung  downwards :  — 


Mr  i  c  i 


"  Here  again,  the  Big- wigs  of  harmony  have  written  volumes  in  search 
of  the  origin  and  foundation  of  the  minor  scale,  when  they  might  have 
found  it  in  every  copse.  How  the  great  Tartini,  and  a  dozen  others, 
have  tugged  at  the  problem!  Perhaps  they  were  family-men.  The 
minor  third  is  all  that  is  necessary  for  the  formation  of  the  minor  scale ; 
the  other  intervals  we  make  free  with  from  the  major."  —  New  Mo.  Mag., 
vol.  vii.,  1823,  p.  303. 

"  Birds  were  assuredly  the  most  ancient  music-masters.  And  even  to 
this  day,  with  all  our  boasted  refinement,  all  our  natural  and  artificial 
exertions,  who  will  be  bold  enough  to  assert  that  either  Mrs.  Billington, 
the  delight  of  the  present  age,  or  Farinelli,  the  admiration  of  the  last, 
ever  approached  the  excellence  of  these  instinctive  musicians,  either  in 
fertility  of  imagination,  in  the  brilliancy  of  their  shake,  or  in  neatness  of 
execution  1 " —  Burgh,  A. :  Anecdotes  of  Music,  etc.  (London,  1814),  vol.  1.  p.  13, 
note. 

But,  like  all  the  good  thoughts,  this  thought  is  very  old.  The  antici- 
pating magaziner  was  in  turn  anticipated :  — 

"  At  liquidas  avium  voces  imitarier  ore 
Ante  fuit  raulto,  quam  laevia  carmina  cantu 
Concelebrare  homines  possent,  aureisque  juvare." 

Lucretius,  lib.  v.  line  1378. 

See  Gardiner,  W. :    Music  of  Nature,  chapter  xii. 

1  See  Allen,  G. :  Ancestry  of  Birds  (Longman's  Mag.,  vol.  Hi.,  Jan- 
uary, 1884,  pp.  284-298) ;  also  Rhoads,  S.  N.,  in  Am.  Nat.,  vol.  xxiii., 


136  WOOD  NOTES   WILD. 

GENESIS  OF  BIRD  SONG.  —  Contin. 

1889,  pp.  91-102.  I  never  see  a  brown  thrush  flashing  his  brilliant  song 
from  the  highest  spray  of  a  tree  without  letting  a  thought  go  back  over 
the  way  he  has  come  to  us,  and  I  always  feel  that  to  protect  and  defend 
the  song-bird  is  one  of  man's  clearest  duties."  —  Thompson,  M. :  Sylvan 
Secrets,  p.  97. 

"  The  growth  of  Melody  has  been  clear  and  natural  enough.  Nature 
itself  laid  the  foundation  when  Sound  first  broke  out  in  its  thousand 
shades  and  colorings,  from  the  grateful  hum  of  bees  to  the  terrific  roar 
of  monster  ocean.  It  is  this  world  of  sound  —  Nature's  great  diapason  — 
which  we  draw  upon  when  molding  into  shape  the  nursery  lullaby,  or  the 
operatic  scena  which  commands  the  admiration  of  patrician  and  plebeian 
alike.  To  sound  monophonic  tones  is  possible  to  both  man  and  beast, 
and  the  first  cravings  of  primitive  man  were  towards  an  imitation  of  the 
sounds  of  life  around  him.  In  this  way  the  Kamtschatkales  have  this 
succession  of  tones :  — 


not  from  any  musical  system,  but  by  imitating  the  cry  of  the  wild  duck. 
The  notes  constitute  the  open  or  arpeggio  form  of  our  chords  f ,  f .  The 
meanings  of  man  and  beast  doubtless  led  to  the  first  funeral  chants, 
such  as  the  Egyptian  Maneros,  called  by  the  Greeks  Linos  (Ah/os),  and 
reputed  the  oldest  music  in  the  world."  —  Crowest,  P.  J. :  Musical  Ground- 
work, pp.  88-89. 

SINGING  AND  DANCING. 

And  if  man  has  profited  by  the  example  of  the  birds  in 
the  art  of  song,  how  about  the  sister  art  of  dancing  ? 

"  The  white-banded  mocking-bird  of  southern  South  America  —  perhaps 
the  finest  feathered  melodist  in  the  world  —  is  one  of  those  species  that 
accompany  music  with  appropriate  motions.  And  just  as  its  song  is,  so 
to  speak,  inspired  and  an  improvisation  unlike  any  song  the  bird  has  ever 
uttered,  so  its  motions  all  have  the  same  character  of  spontaneity,  and 
follow  no  order,  and  yet  have  a  grace  and  passion  and  a  perfect  harmony 
with  the  music  unparalleled  among  birds  possessing  a  similar  habit. 
While  singing  he  passes  from  bush  to  bush,  sometimes  delaying  a  few 
moments  on  and  at  others  just  touching  the  summits,  and  at  times  sinking 


APPENDIX.  137 

GENESIS  OF  BIRD  SONG.  —  Contin. 

out  of  sight  in  the  foliage ;  then,  in  an  access  of  rapture,  soaring  vertically 
to  a  height  of  a  hundred  feet,  with  measured  wing-beats,  like  those  of  a 
heron;  or  mounting  suddenly  in  a  wild,  hurried  zigzag,  then  slowly 
circling  downward,  to  sit  at  last  with  tail  outspread  fanwise,  and  vans 
glistening  white  in  the  sunshine,  expanded  and  vibrating,  or  waved  lan- 
guidly up  and  down  with  a  motion  like  that  of  some  broad-winged  butter- 
fly at  rest  on  a  flower."  —  Hudson,  W.  H. :  Music  and  dancing  in  Nature. 
(Longman's  Mag.,  vol.  xv.,  1890,  pp.  597-610.) 

See  Darwin,  C. :  The  Descent  of  Man  (N.  Y.,  1872),  vol.  ii.  pp.  65-68.  — 
Fish,  E.  E. :  Dancing  Gander.  (Pop.  Sci.  Mo.  vol.  xxv.,  1884,  pp.  715-716.) 
—  Nutting,  C.  C. :  Chiroxiphea  linearis,  Bp.  (U.  S.  Nat.  Mus.  Proceedings, 
vol.  vi.,  1883,  pp.  384-385.)  —  Some  Western  Birds  (cranes),  Putnam's 
Mo.,\6L  iv.,  1854,  p.  80.  — Wallace,  A.  R. :  (Birds  of  Paradise)  The 
Malay  Archipelago,  pp.  466-467. 

"  Between  these  two  opposing  tendencies,  one  urging  to  variation,  the 
other  to  permanence  (for  Nature  herself  is  half  radical,  half  conservative), 
the  language  of  birds  has  grown  from  rude  beginnings  to  its  present 
beautiful  diversity ;  and  whoever  lives  a  century  of  millenniums  hence 
will  listen  to  music  such  as  we  in  this  day  can  only  dream  of.  Inap- 
preciably but  ceaselessly  the  work  goes  on.1  Here  and  there  is  born 
a  master-singer,  a  feathered  genius,2  and  every  generation  makes  its 

1  Such  was  the  author's  belief.    His  words  are  "  The  end  is  not  yet." 

2  "  Died,  at  the  house  of  Colonel  O'Kelly,  in  Half-moon  Street,  Piccadilly, 
his  wonderful  parrot,  who  had  been  in  his  family  thirty  years,  having  been 
purchased  at  Bristol  out  of  a  West  India  ship.    It  sang,  with  the  greatest 
clearness  and  precision,  Psalm  CIV., '  The  Banks  of  the  Dee,' '  God  save 
the  King/  and  other  favorite  songs;  and,  if  it  blundered  in  any  one. 
instantly  began  again,  till  it  had  the  tune  complete.     One  hundred  guineas 
had  been  refused  for  it  in  London."  — Gentleman's  Mag.,  pt.  2,  vol.  Ixxii., 
1802,  p.  967.    (Another  account,  Gentleman's  Mag.,  pt.  2,  vol.  Ivii.,  1787,  p. 
1197.) 

But  long  before  the  day  of  this  genius,  Rome  could  boast  of  a  lark 
that,  after  singing  divinely,  would  pronounce  the  names  of  the  saints 
in  most  musical  Italian,  carrying  his  repertoire  of  sweet  words  up  to 
fairly  astonishing  numbers.  Father  Kircher  —  who,  by  the  way,  has  not 
a  little  valuable  matter  hid  away  in  the  hard  shell  of  his  old.  Latin  —  was 
overcome  with  wonder  at  the  performance  of  this  bird.  He  could  hardly 
be  persuaded  that  he  was  not  listening  to  a  human  voice,  and  was  con- 
vinced without  further  argument  that  all  birds  with  melodious  throats 
might  not  only  sing  the  music,  but  speak  the  language,  of  men. 


138  WOOD  NOTES  WILD. 

GENESIS  OF  BIRD  SONG.  —  Contin. 

own  addition  to  the  glorious  inheritance."  —  Torrey,  B. :  Birds  in  the 
Bush,  p.  47. 

"Let  us  for  a  moment  try  to  conceive  how  this  process  may  have  been 
accomplished.  We  presuppose  a  certain  amount  of  the  power  of  vocalization 
at  different  heights  or  pitches,  the  results  of  social  needs,  etc.  We  further 
assume,  as  the  correlative  of  this,  the  existence  of  a  nascent  sensibility  to 
differences  of  pitch,  also  a  feeling  of  preference  for  certain  kinds  of  timbre 
over  others.  The  circumstances  of  wooing,  with  its  eager  rivalries,  would 
serve  to  bring  out  the  existing  powers  of  vocalization  to  their  fullest. 
The  more  striking  and  attractive  the  sounds  produced  by  a  particular 
male,  the  more  likely  would  it  be  to  win  his  mate.  Now  a  voice  might 
be  more  impressive,  either  through  its  greater  intensity,  or  through  its 
more  agreeable  timbre,  or  finally  through  its  greater  variety  of  tone,  or 
range  of  pitch.  And  thus  the  fortunate  possessors  of  voices  having  these 
superior  qualities  would,  other  things  being  equal,  outdo  their  rivals. 
Now  this  triumph  of  rich-voiced  individuals  in  the  contests  of  love  would 
have  important  after-results.  If  from  generation  to  generation  the  females 
of  a  particular  species  continue  to  choose  males  with  fine  voices,  there 
would  be  a  gradual  improvement  of  vocal  powers  generally,  according  to 
Mr.  Darwin's  well-known  principle  of  sexual  selection.  By  this  means 
any  natural  superiorities  of  voice  would  tend  to  be  preserved,  and  the 
average  vocal  capabilities  of  each  succeeding  generation  increased.  Nor 
is  this  all.  Along  with  this  increased  power  of  producing  tones,  there 
would  go  an  increased  sensibility  to  the  pleasurable  effects  of  tone.  And 
this  would  be  brought  about  in  two  different  ways.  In  the  first  place  the 
continual  performances  of  the  male  singers  would,  by  exercising  the 
functions  of  the  ear,  tend  to  raise  its  sensibility.  In  the  second  place  it  is 
plain  that  superior  vocal  powers  in  the  male  would,  as  a  rule,  co-exist  with 
superior  auditory  sensibility ;  for  the  movements  of  the  voice  are  always 
guided  by  the  effects  on  the  ear.  And  thus  sexual  selection  would  tend 
to  improve  the  musical  ear  as  much  as  the  musical  voice.  In  this  way, 
we  think,  might  have  been  developed  among  all  musical  animals,  including 
the  ancestors  of  man,  the  power  of  producing  and  of  appreciating  purity 
of  tone,  richness  of  timbre,  rhythm,  and  melody.  Little  by  little,  the 
vocal  organs  would  attain  the  necessary  complexity,  flexibility,  and  means 
of  adjustment,  and  little  by  little  the  ear  would  acquire  the  needed 
nervous  elements  and  their  connections."  —  Sully,  J.,  in  article  before 
quoted.  (See  Index,  Solly,  J.) 

It  is  hoped  that  Mr.  Sully  will  carry  out  his  intention  to  publish  this 
careful,  admirable  paper  in  book  form. 


APPENDIX.  139 

Why  Birds  Sing.    (See  p.  5.) 

"  The  majority  of  ornithologists  agree  in  ascribing  an  erotic  character 
to  the  songs  of  birds ;  not  only  the  melting  melodies,  but  also  those  of 
their  tones  that  are  discordant  to  the  human  ear,  are  regarded  as  love- 
notes.  Darwin  finally,  saving  some  reserves,  came  to  accept  this  view. 
To  be  able  to  speak  critically  of  the  love-song,  one  should  pay  especial 
regard  to  the  love-life  of  birds.  It  would  be  to  throw  water  into  the  sea 
to  add  to  what  ornithological  writers  have  advanced  concerning  the 
exceeding  vital  worth  and  cosmical  significance  of  love.  Nevertheless,  I 
venture  the  opinion  that  the  origin  of  the  song-habit  is  to  be  found  in 
other  sources  as  well  as  in  this  important  factor,  among  which  is  the  joy 
of  life,  manifested  in  an  irresistible  determination  to  announce  itself  in 
melody ;  and  that  the  song  is  more  perfectly  brought  out  in  proportion 
as  this  feeling  is  more  highly  developed  in  the  organization.  Birds  in 
freedom  begin  to  sing  long  before  pairing,  and  continue  it,  subject  to 
interruptions,  long  afterward,  though  all  passion  has  been  extinguished ; 
and  domesticated  birds  sing  through  the  whole  year  without  regard  to 
breeding-time,  though  no  female  or  companion  ever  be  in  sight.  Such 
birds,  born  in  captivity,  never  feel  the  loss  of  freedom ;  and  if  they  are 
well  taken  care  of,  are  always  hearty  and  in  good  spirits.  The  bird  sings, 
to  a  large  extent,  for  his  own  pleasure ;  for  he  frequently  lets  himself  out 
lustily  when  he  knows  he  is  all  alone.  In  the  springtime  of  love,  when 
all  life  is  invigorated,  and  the  effort  to  win  a  mate  by  ardent  wooing  is 
crowned  with  the  joy  of  triumph,  the  song  reaches  its  highest  perfection. 
But  the  male  bird  also  sings  to  entertain  his  mate  during  the  arduous 
nest-building  and  hatching,  to  cheer  the  young,  and  if  he  be  a  domesticated 
bird,  to  give  pleasure  to  his  lord  and  the  providence  that  takes  care  of  him, 
and  in  doing  so  to  please  himself.  Lastly,  the  bird  sings  —  by  habit,  as 
we  call  it  —  because  the  tendency  is  innate  in  the  organs  of  song1  to 
exercise  themselves."  —  Placzeck,  Dr.  B.  Translated  from  Kosmos.  (Pop. 
Sci.  Mo.,  vol.  xxvi.,  p.  542.) 

"  The  matin-song  of  our  American  robin  will  convince  any  one  who 
observes  closely  that  the  witchery  of  the  dewy,  fragrant  day-dawn  is 

1  "  The  modifications  of  these  organs  presented  by  the  different  species 
are  slight;  the  parts  in  all  I  have  examined  being  the  same,  and  with 
the  same  number  of  muscles.  The  peculiar  song  of  different  species  must 
therefore  depend  on  circumstances  beyond  our  cognition;  for  surely 
no  one  could  imagine  the  reason  that  the  rook  and  the  hooded  crow  re- 
quire as  complex  an  apparatus  to  produce  their  unmusical  cries  as  that 
which  the  blackbird  and  the  nightingale  employ  in  modulating  their 
voices,  so  as  to  give  rise  to  those  melodies  which  are  so  delightful  to  us ; 
and  yet  the  knife,  and  the  needle,  and  the  lens  do  not  enable  us  to  detect  any 
superior  organization  in  the  warbler  over  the  crow."  —  Macgillivray. 


140  WOOD  NOTES    WILD. 

WHY  BIRDS  SING.  —  Contin. 

the  bird's  inspiration,  and  no  person  who  has  heard  the  mocking-bird's 
dreamy  night-lay  can  doubt  that  it  is  a  fine  expression  of  the  nocturnal 
influence. 

"  Indeed,  all  our  birds  use  what  we  call  their  voices,  just  as  we  use 
ours,  for  the  purposes  of  expression  generally ;  and  I  am  convinced  that 
bird-song  proper,  though  oftenest  the  expression  of  some  phase  of  the 
tender  passion,  is  not  confined  to  such  expression.  ...  I  have  watched 
birds  at  their  singing  under  many  and  widely  differing  circumstances, 
and  I  am  sure  that  they  express  joyous  anticipation,  present  content, 
and  pleasant  recollection,  each  as  the  mood  moves,  and  all  with  equal 
ease."  —  Thompson,  M. :  Sylvan  Secrets,  pp.  74,  75,  78. 

See  Spencer,  H. :  Origin  and  Function  of  Music.  (Eraser's  Mag., 
vol.  Ivi.,  1857,  p,  396.)  (A  postscript  to  this  essay  is  to  be  found  in  Pop. 
Sci.  Mo.,  vol.  xxxviii.,  November,  1890.) 

"The  act  of  singing  is  evidently  a  pleasurable  one;  and  it  probably 
serves  as  an  outlet  for  superabundant  nervous  energy  and  excitement, 
just  as  dancing,  singing,  and  field  sports  do  with  us."  —  Wallace,  A.  R.  : 
Darwinism  (London,  1889),  p.  284. 

For  criticism  of  Darwin's  theory  of  the  origin  of  bird-song,  see  Mivart, 
St.  G. :  Lessons  from  Nature,  etc.  (London,  1876),  pp.  312-313. 

Organs  of  Song. 

On  this  point  we  are  still  where  Father  Kircher  left  off 
in  1650.  If  song  depended  on  the  larynx,  he  says,  the 
hog  would  sing  beautifully ;  adding,  "  quod  ridiculum  ne 
dicam  stolidum  esset  afferere  "  (Musurgia,  bk.  i,  chap.  xiv.). 

See  Agassiz  and  Gould:  Principles  of  Zoology,  pt.  1  (Boston,  1866), 
pp.  65-66.  —  Axon,  W.  E.  A.:  Voice  of  Animals.  (Brit.  Alma.,  1885, 
pp.  104-114.)  — Encyclo.  Brit.,  vol.  iii.  Article  "Birds,"  respiratory  and 
vocal  organs.  —  Blanchard,  fe :  Voice  in  Man  and  in  Animals.  Tr.  by 
J.  Fitzgerald.  (Pop.  Sci.  Mo.,  vol.  ix.,  August  and  September,  1876,  pp. 
385-398,  513-523.)  —  Buckland,  F. :  Natural  Trumpet  of  the  Crane. 
(Pop.  Sci.  Mo.,  vol.  ix.,  1876,  pp.  137-140.  From  "  Land  and  Water.")  — 
Herissant,  in  Memoirs  of  the  Roy.  Acad.  at  Paris,  quoted  in  Gents.  Mag., 
vol.  xxix.,  1759,  pp.  119-120.  —  Macgillivray,  W. :  Hist,  of  Brit.  Birds, 
vol.  ii.  p.  34. — Miiller,  J. :  Researches  on  the  comparative  anatomy  of 
the  vocal  organs  of  birds.  (Berlin  Akad.  Abhand.,  1 845. )  —  Yarrell,  W.  : 
Hist,  of  Brit.  Birds,  vol.  ii.  p.  71. 


APPENDIX.  141 

ORGANS  OP  SONG.  —  Contin. 

INSECTS. 

For  musical  organs  and  music  of  insects,  see  Domestic  Habits  of 
Birds,  Lib.  of  entertaining  knowl.  (London,!  833),  pp.  225-246  —  Musicians 
of  our  Woods.  (Harp.  Mag.,  vol.  xix.  1859,  pp.  323-337.) — New  Mo. 
Mag.,  vol.  iii.,  pt.  3,  June  1, 1827,  p.  269.  —  Taylor,  Charlotte :  Musicians 
of  Field  and  Meadow.  (Harp.  Mag.,  vol.  xxvi.,  1862-63,  pp.  495-501.) 

Universal  Effect  of  Music. 

Be  the  scientific  solution  what  it  may,  whether  or  not 

"  'T  is  love  creates  their  melody,  and  all 
This  waste  of  music  is  the  voice  of  love," 

we  know  that  music  is  pleasurable  to  man,  and  its  con- 
tinuous presence  throughout  the  animal  kingdom  indicates 
that  it  is  pleasurable  also  to  the  beings  beneath  him. 
Why  should  not  the  subtile  power  of  music  extend  from 
man  down  to  the  smallest  creature  ?  The  author  of  Job 
and  Shakespeare  record  its  effect  on  the  horse,  and  similar 
testimony  is  to  be  met  with  in  all  literatures  ancient  and 
modern. 

Music-LoviNG  Cows. 

"  Opposite  to  our  house  was  a  large  field  in  which  some  twelve  or  thir- 
teen cows  were  put  during  the  summer  months.  One  day  a  German  band 
commenced  to  play  on  the  road  which  divided  the  house  from  the  field. 
The  cows  were  quietly  grazing  at  the  other  end  of  the  field,  but  no  sooner 
did  they  hear  the  music  than  they  at  once  advanced  toward  it,  and  stood 
with  their  heads  over  the  wall  attentively  listening.  This  might  have 
passed  unnoticed,  but  upon  the  musicians  going  away  the  animals  fol- 
lowed them  as  well  as  they  could  on  the  other  side  of  the  wall,  and  when 
they  could  get  no  farther  stood  lowing  piteously.  So  excited  did  the 
cows  become  that  some  of  them  ran  round  and  round  the  field  to  try 
to  get  out,  but  finding  no  outlet  returned  to  the  corner  where  they  had 
lost  sight  of  the  band ;  and  it  was  some  time  before  they  seemed  satisfied 
that  the  sweet  sounds  were  really  gone."  —  American  Naturalist. 


142  WOOD  NOTES   WILD. 

UNIVERSAL  EFFECT  OF  Music.  —  Contin. 

How  A  CHIPMUNK  FOLLOWED  A  FIDDLE. 

"  One  day  last  week  a  traveller  on  the  Newmanville  road  so  charmed  a 
chipmunk  with  music  produced  from  a  violin  that  the  little  rodent  became 
very  tame  and  followed  him  for  about  a  mile.  When  the  music  ceased  it 
resumed  its  wild  nature  and  scampered  back  home."  —  From  the  Tionesta 
Commonwealth. 

See  Animal  Love  of  Music.  (Harp.  Mag.,  vol.  xv.,  1857,  pp.  83- 
85.)  —  Effect  of  Music  on  Lower  Animals.  (All  the  Year,  N.  s.  vol.  xxx., 
Dec.,  1882,  p.  538.) — Fish,  E.  E.  :  Birds'  Tastes  for  Color  and  Music. 
(Pop.  Sci.  Mo.,  vol.  xxv.,  1884,  pp.  715-716.)  —  Hawkins,  Sir  John :  Hist, 
of  Music,  vol.  ii.  bk.  19,  chap.  178,  p.  835.  —  Kircher,  A,:  Musurgia, 
Kb.  ix.  — Music  of  the  Wild.  (Lift.  Liv.  Age,  vol.  xxi.,  1849,  pp.  475- 
476.)— Nat.  Hist,  of  Birds  (Harper  &  Bros.,  1840),  pp.  241-246.— 
Phenomena  of  Music.  (Eclec.  Mag.,  N.  s.  vol.  ix.,  1869,  pp.  368-372.)  — 
Poiitecoulant,  Marquis  de:  Les  Phe'nomenes  de  la  Musique.  (Lib.  Inter- 
nationale, Paris,  1868.)  —  Schele  de  Vere,  M.  K.  B. :  Music  in  Nature. 
(Putnam's  Mag.,  N.  s.  vol.  vi.,  1870,  pp.  173-182.)  —  Stearns,  R.  C. :  In- 
stances of  the  Effects  of  musical  Sounds  of  Animals.  (Amer.  Naturalist, 
vol.  xxiv.,  1890,  pp.  22,  123,  236.) 

Effect  of  Music  ON  SNAKES.  See  Romanes,  G.  J. :  Animal  Intelli- 
gence, chap.  ix.  p.  265.  ON  SPIDERS,  same  work,  chap.  vi.  pp.  205-207. 

^Esthetic  sense  denied  to  animals.  See  Viardot,  L.,  in  Pop.  Sci.  Mo., 
vol.  iv.,  1873,  pp.  729-735.  (Trans,  from  Gazette  des  Beaux  Arts.) 

Chickadee.    (See  p.  8.) 

Flagg  speaks  of  "two  very  plaintive  notes"  of  the 
chickadee,  which  he  writes  as  follows :  — 

f    J    •  I  r    J    •  ii 


"  They  have  a  great  variety  of  simple  or  quaint  notes,  all  of  which  seem 
to  be  expressive  of  perpetual  happiness,  for  many  of  them  are  constantly 
repeated  throughout  the  year,  and  none  are  restricted  to  one  season. 
Besides  their  well-known  chant,  '  chick-a-dee-dee-dee-dee/  which  has  given 
them  their  name,1  they  have  an  exquisite  whistle  of  two  notes  (nearly 
represented  by  high  G  and  F,  upon  the  piano),  which  is  very  sweet  and 

1  The  Chippewa  Indians  name  the  black-cap  Kitch-i-kitch-i-ga-ne-shi. 


APPENDIX.  143 


CHICKADEE.  —  Contin. 


clear,  and  various  minor  but  equally  expressive  notes  (among  them  a 
simple  tsip),  as  well  as  certain  guttural  cries,  one  of  which  sounds  like  a 
rapid  utterance  of  the  French  phrase  "  tout  de  suite,"  and  is  indicative, 
as  it  were,  of  the  restless  disposition  of  these  birds."  —  Minot,  H.  D. :  Land- 
birds  and  Game-birds  of  N.  E.,  p.  62. 

Wood-Pewee.     (See  p.  8 ;  also  p.  64.) 

"  They  have  all  written  about  it ;  but  I  say  again,  it 
surprises  me  more  and  more  that  so  peculiar,  so  plaintive, 
so  religious  a  song  has  received  almost  no  attention. 
Wilson  tries  to  tell  what  he  says  ;  but  heavens  !  what  he 
sings  is  the  thing  to  attend  to.  My  words  for  his  music 
are  these :  — 


Hear,    O    Lord!     Hear,    I     pray!          A-  men,          A-  men. 

You  see  how  much  there  is  in  that  little,  and  how  much 
of  interest  can  be  said  that  has  never  been  said.  And  is 
it  not  interesting  to  find  this  singer  and  the  wood-thrush 
in  B  flat  minor.  There ;  I  can't  afford  to  enlighten  you 
further  this  time.  The  birds  are  an  increasing  wonder, 
and  their  music  is  by  far  their  most  wonderful  endow- 
ment. It  seems  to  me  I  can  do  something  to  make  this 
plainer."  —  C.,  S.  P.,  in  a  letter  dated  June  17,  1885. 

Mr.  Burroughs  mentions  the  "sweet  pathetic  cry"  of 
the  wood-pewee ;  but  the  devotional  element  in  the  songs 
of  these  two  birds  seems  not  to  have  impressed  the  writers 
generally.  In  a  delightful  passage  from  the  pen  of  Dr. 
Coues  we  find  the  song  inspired  by  "  mournful  fancies." 

"  Wherever  it  may  fix  its  home,  whether  in  the  seclusion  of  sylvan  re- 
treats or  in  the  vicinity  of  man's  abode,  its  presence  is  soon  made  known 


. 


-- 1  - 


{•»  te  flpe»k}  br  a 


APPENDIX. 


145 


BLCKKKDL  — 


--•: 


U.SL 


BluefeM 

The  hold  that 
the  heart  is  wdl 
Sea  and  the  Arctic  Ocean,*  by  E.  W. 

ao  desolate  and  cold  that  the  croak  of  the 
there  than  the  waxWmff  of  the 


fee 


146  WOOD  NOTES   WILD. 

Song-Sparrow.    (See  p.  23.) 

The  late  Mr.  Harry  Leverett  Nelson,  of  Worcester,  must 
have  received  much  the  same  impression  from  the  sing- 
ing of  the  song-sparrow. 

"At  this  season"  [April],  he  writes,  "  this  beautiful  singer  cannot  be 
mistaken,  uttering  three  or  four  pipes,  or  whistles,  followed  by  cauary-like 
trills  and  quavers,  not  very  loud,  but  spirited  and  vivacious.  There  is, 
perhaps,  no  other  of  our  birds  whose  song  varies  so  much  in  detail  and 
execution,  though  the  quality  and  theme  are  always  the  same ;  and 
sometimes  the  same  singer  will  give  us  five  or  six  different  variations  in 
rapid  succession  without  changing  his  perch."  —  Nelson,  H.  L. :  Bird-songs 
about  Worcester,  p.  10. 

See  Ingersoll,  E.,  in  Friends  Worth  Knowing,  chap.  vii.  pp.  171-181. 

See  also  Bicknell,  E.  P. :  Song-sparrow,  in  his  Study  of  the  Singing  of 

our  Birds.    (The  Auk.  vol.  i.,  1884,  pp.  65,  70 ;  vol.  ii.,  1885,  pp.  147-149.) 

Mr.  Torrey  does  not  find  the  theme  "  always  the  same." 

"  The  song-sparrow  .  .  .  will  repeat  one  melody  perhaps  a  dozen  times, 
then  change  it  for  a  second,  and  in  turn  leave  that  for  a  third,  as  if  he 
were  singing  hymns  of  twelve  or  fifteen  stanzas  each,  and  set  each  hymn 
to  its  appropriate  tune.  It  is  something  well  worth  listening  to,  common 
though  it  is,  and  may  easily  suggest  a  number  of  questions  about  the  ori- 
gin and  meaning  of  bird  music."  —  Torrey,  B. :  Birds  in  the  Bush,  p.  40. 

"  The  song  of  the  song-sparrow  is  sweet,  lively,  and  poured  out  with 
an  energy  which  doubles  its  charm.  It  has  several  variations,  which 
might  excusably  be  attributed  to  two  or  three  species ;  but  the  one  most 
often  heard  is  that  which  they  give  utterance  to  in  the  spring.  This  is 
an  indescribable  song,  characteristic  of  itself.  It  usually  begins  with  a 
thrice-repeated  note  followed  by  the  sprightly  part  of  the  music,  con- 
cluding with  another  note  which,  like  the  first,  is  often  tripled."  —  Minot, 
H.  D.:  Land-birds  and  Game-birds  of  N.  E.,  p.  206. 

"  When  he  first  arrives,  while  the  weather  is  yet  doubtful  and  unsettled, 
the  strain  appears  contemplative,  and  often  delivered  in  a  peculiarly  low 
and  tender  whisper,  which,  when  barkened  to  for  some  time,  will  be  found 
more  than  usually  melodious,  seeming  as  a  sort  of  revery,  or  innate  hope 
of  improving  seasons,  which  are  recalled  with  a  grateful,  calm,  and  tender 
delight.  At  the  approach  of  winter,  this  vocal  thrill,  sounding  like  an 
Orphean  farewell  to  the  scene  and  seasons,  is  still  more  exquisite,  and 


APPENDIX.  147 

SONG-SPARROW.  —  Contin. 

softened  by  the  sadness  which  seems  to  breathe  almost  with  sentiment, 
from  the  decaying  and  now  silent  face  of  Nature."  —  Nuttall,  T. :  Manual 
of  the  Ornith.  of  the  U.  S.  and  Canada,  pp.  563-564. 

"  The  song-sparrow  flushes  with  music  as  soon  as  winter  relaxes  in  the 
least,  finding  full  voice  in  March,  when  those  who  have  worried  through 
the  cold  greet  the  new  arrivals  from  the  South,  and  all  together  fill  a  chorus 
to  which  the  shrubbery  resounds  unceasingly,  till  some  sharp  wind  comes 
along  to  remind  the  birds  that  time  is  fleeting,  though  their  art  be  never 
so  long.  But  the  storm  must  repeat  its  warnings  to  dampen  even  an  ardor 
that  is  never  entirely  quenched ;  for  passion  lingers  long  in  the  breasts 
that  have  once  felt  the  glow,  and  it  takes  a  good  while  to  sober  the  song- 
sparrows  after  their  summer's  hey-day.  We  still  hear  their  trill,  like  a 
memory  rather  than  a  hope,  when  the  woods  and  fields  have  reached  the 
golden  gates  of  fruition."  —  Stearns,  W.  A. :  New  England  Bird-Life  (ed. 
by  Dr.  Elliott  Coues),  part  i.  p.  257. 

For  interesting  notes  on  song  periods,  the  effect  of  the  moult  and 
fatness  on  the  singing  of  birds,  and  on  the  peculiarities  of  vocal  delivery, 
etc.,  see  Bicknell,  E.  P. :  A  Study  of  the  Singing  of  our  Birds.  (The 
Auk,  vol.  L,  1884,  pp.  60,  126,  209,  322;  vol.  ii.,  1885,  pp.  144,  249.) 

White-tiellied  Nuthatch.    (See  p.  29.) 

This  briefest  paper  of  all  throws  more  light  on  the 
character  of  the  author  than  many  of  the  longer  ones. 
At  the  time  it  was  written  he  was  surrounded  hy  affec- 
tionate friends,  and  yet  he  could  say  that  this  little  sprite 
was  one  of  the  most  "intimate"  and  "important"  of 
them.  The  words  are  literally  true.  Almost  the  last 
thing  he  wrote  was  a  further  description  of  this  bird : 

"  On  the  coldest  winter  day,  when  all  seems  turning  to 
ice,  what  staggers  our  reason  and  commands  our  admira- 
tion more  than  to  see  a  bit  of  flesh  and  bone  not  larger 
than  your  thumb,  done  up  in  feathers  in  such  a  way  as 
to  defy  the  cold,  darting  round,  running  up  and  down 
rough  sides  of  the  great  forest-trees,  with  his  little  wire 


148  WOOD  NOTES    WILD. 

WHITE-BELLIED  NUTHATCH.  —  Contin. 

legs  not  larger  than  a  darning-needle  and  quite  as  naked, 
and  toes  the  size  of  a  hair,  with  an  activity  and  rapidity 
reminding  us  of  electricity  itself  ?  And  this  is  only  his 
regular  exercise  while  getting  his  breakfast." 

Field-Sparrow.    (See  p.  35.) 

"  I  find  more  and  more  that  the  birds  extemporize,1  and 
that  those  of  the  same  species  do  not  sing  alike.  All 
summer  in  Lynn  the  field-sparrows  'went  up'  accelerando 
6  crescendo.  Here,  twenty  times  a  day,  I  hear  them 
going  down,  down  every  time,  and  diminishing,  —  just  re- 
versing it.  It  is  a  '  queer '  thing,  but  there  is  no  mistake 
about  it.  Again,  the  indigo-bird  sings  nothing  here  that 
I  heard  from  him  in  Lynn. 

"  But  nobody  can  tell  me  what  '  feller '  sings,  — 


r  r  r  r  r  r  r 


He  is  the  '  lost  chord.'  I  knew  the  song  well  when  a 
boy ;  heard  it  once  at  Maple  Grove,  but  could  not  see  the 
bird."  —  C.,  S.  P.  in  a  letter  dated  August,  1888. 

"  I  must  not  omit  to  say  that  occasionally  one  may  hear 
the  field-sparrow  reverse  the  order  of  the  melody  here 
given  by  descending  after  the  opening  monotones."  —  Note 

written  by  the  author  on  his  field-sparrow  paper  after  its  appearance  in 
the  Century  Magazine. 

1  See  Index,  Extemporizing. 


APPENDIX.  149 

FlELD-SPARROW.  —  Contin. 

Mr.  Torrey  gives  much  the  same  description  of  the 

field-sparrow.      He  finds  the  song,  however,  a  "  strict 


"  One  more  of  the  innovators  (these  heretics,  as  they  are  most  likely 
called  by  their  more  conservative  brethren)  is  the  field-sparrow,  better 
known  as  Spizella  pusilla.  His  usual  song  consists  of  a  simple  line  of 
notes,  beginning  leisurely,  but  growing  shorter  and  more  rapid  to  the  close. 
The  voice  is  so  smooth  and  sweet,  and  the  acceleration  so  well  managed, 
that,  although  the  whole  is  commonly  a  strict  monotone,  the  effect  is  not 
in  the  least  monotonous.  This  song  I  once  heard  rendered  in  reverse 
order,  with  a  result  so  strange  that  1  did  not  suspect  the  identity  of  the 
singer  till  I  had  crept  up  within  sight  of  him.  Another  of  these  spar- 
rows, who  has  passed  the  last  two  seasons  in  my  neighborhood,  habitually 
doubles  the  measure,  going  through  it  in  the  usual  way,  and  then,  just  as 
you  expect  him  to  conclude,  catching  it  up  again,  Da  capo."  —  Torrey,  B.: 
Birds  in  the  Bosh,  pp.  39-10. 

Linnet.    (See  p.  37.) 

"There  is  a  strong  resemblance  to  the  song  of  the  warbling  vireo, 
and  it  was  undoubtedly  this  finch  which  Thoreau  tells  us  in  his  Journal 
he  heard  in  April,  and  was  unable  to  identify."  —  Nelson,  H.  L. :  Bird- 
songs  about  Worcester,  p.  25. 

"  He  stands  at  the  head  of  the  finches,  as  the  hermit  at  the  head  of  the 
thrushes."  — Burroughs,  J. :  Wake-robin,  p.  69. 

White-throated  Sparrow.    (See  p.  42 ) 

"  Notwithstanding  the  slighting  manner  in  which  the  song  of  this  bird 
is  spoken  of  by  some  writers,  in  certain  parts  of  the  country  its  clear, 
prolonged,  and  peculiar  whistle  has  given  to  it  quite  a  local  fame  and 
popularity.  Among  the  White  Mountains,  where  it  breeds  abundantly, 
it  is  known  as  the  peabody  bird,  and  its  remarkably  clear  whistle  re- 
sounds in  all  their  glens  and  secluded  recesses.  Its  song  consists  of 
twelve  distinct  notes,  which  are  not  unfrequently  interpreted  into  various 
ludicrous  travesties.  As  this  song  is  repeated  with  no  variations,  and 
quite  frequently  from  early  morning  until  late  in  the  evening,  it  soon 
becomes  quite  monotonous."  —  Baird,  Brewer,  and  Ridgway:  North  Amer- 
ican Birds,  vol.  i.,  Land-Birds,  p.  576. 


150  WOOD  NOTES   WILD. 

WHITE-THROATED  SPARROW.  —  Contin. 

"  The  ordinary  note  of  the  white-throated  sparrows  is  a  rather  feeble 
'  tseep,'  much  like  that  of  the  fox-colored  sparrows,  and  indeed  of  other 
birds.  Their  song  is  sweet,  clear,  and  exquisitely  delicate,  consisting  of 
whistled  notes  which  have  been  likened  to  the  words,  '  Old  Sam  Peabody, 
Peabody,  Peabody,  Peabody.'  This  song  is  often  somewhat  varied,  and 
again  snatches  or  parts  of  it  are  sometimes  sung.  It  is  more  often 
whistled  in  the  morning  and  at  evening  than  at  any  other  times  of  the 
day,  and  it  may  be  sometimes  heard  at  night."  —  Minot,  H.D.:  Land-birds 
and  Game-birds  of  N.  E.,  p.  219. 

"  In  New  England,  the  song  of  the  green  warbler  is  interpreted  as  a 
prayer  to  Saint  Theresa.  In  Michigan,  a  lover  of  bird-music  has  given 
the  same  interpretation  to  the  song  of  the  white-throated  sparrow,  Zono- 
trichia  albicollis,  Bonap.  The  latter  is  heard  sometimes  in  the  natural 
groves  bordering  the  outskirts  of  the  newer  villages,  in  the  northern 
part  of  the  State,  but  generally  only  in  the  wilder  and  more  desolate 
depths  of  the  forest.  The  notes  are  inimitably  clear,  sweet,  and  plain- 
tive ;  and  it  requires  only  a  moderate  play  of  the  imagination  to  convert 
the  song  into  the  petition, '  Oh  hear  me,  Theresa,  Theresa,  Theresa ! ' 

"  It  is  not  easy  to  express  bird-songs  by  musical  notation.  In  this  case 
we  may  approximate  success  by  using  the  flute  stop  of  a  cabinet  organ, 
giving  a  half-note  each  in  C,  G,  and  E  of  the  second  octave  of  the  treble 
clef,  followed  lightly  by  three  eighth-notes  and  an  eighth-rest  in  E,  twice 
repeated,  as  follows :  — 


i 


I'     ^-^     " 


v     I/ 


"  The  first  three  measures  correspond  to  the  words  '  Oh  hear  me/  and 
the  last  three  to  the  name  of  the  saint, '  Theresa/  three  times  pronounced, 
with  the  accent  on  the  first  syllable.  The  arrangement  of  musical  sounds 
indicated  above  appears  to  constitute  the  most  perfect  and  complete  form 
of  the  song ;  but  it  is  varied  in  different  localities  and  by  different  per- 
formers, as  if  among  birds  of  the  same  species  there  were  different  degrees 
of  musical  talent  and  different  fashions  in  musical  education.  In  one 
place,  where  I  had  excellent  opportunities  to  listen,  the  last  three  meas- 
ures were  seldom  heard,1  or  when  heard,  consisted  each  of  a  half-note. 
Of  the  first  three  half-notes,  one  or  other  is  sometimes  omitted.  The  song 
is  sometimes  heard  in  the  night. 

1  Was  not  this  due  rather  to  the  season  than  to  the  place  ?    See  p.  43. 


APPENDIX.  151 

WHITE-THROATED  SPARROW.  —  Contin. 

"  I  suspect  this  interesting  bird  is  an  accomplished  ventriloquist.  On 
one  occasion  I  listened  for  some  time  to  what  seemed  to  be  two  birds,  in 
different  directions  and  not  far  off,  but  hidden  from  view.  The  C  note 
was  omitted.  One  would  sing  two  notes  in  G,  which  would  be  followed 
in  perfect  time  by  two  in  E  by  the  other  bird.  I  was  strongly  impressed 
at  the  time  with  the  idea  that  there  was  only  one  singer  present,  and  that 
the  song,  sweet  and  beautiful,  was  a  skilful  display  of  ventriloquism."  l  — 
Leach,  M.  L. :  Song  of  the  White-throated  Sparrow.  (Swiss  Cross,  vol.  iii.,  May, 
1888,  pp.  145-146.) 

Dr.  Leach's  notation  is  very  similar  to  that  of  the  white- 
throat's  song  as  heard  in  the  provinces  of  New  Brunswick 
and  Nova  Scotia,  —  "as  clear  and  accurate  a  melody  as 
can  be  given  forth  by  any  human  songster  " :  — 

„    Common  form. 

f=£=        f    i 


tf 


A  second  form. 


A  rarer  form. 


E      E     E     E     E   '  E    =£ 


If  we  rule  out  the  testimony  of  Juliet  about  the  lark, 
this  writer  has  the  honor  of  being  perhaps  the  second  to 

1  "  I  first  heard  it  [the  ventriloquist  dove  ( Geopelia  tranquilla,  Gould)  ] 
on  the  marshes  of  the  Macquarie,  but  could  not  see  it.  The  fact  is  that  it 
has  the  power  of  throwing  its  voice  to  a  distance,  and  I  mistook  it  for 
some  time  for  the  note  of  a  large  bird  on  the  plains,  and  sent  a  man  more 
than  once  to  shoot  it,  without  success."  —  Sturt,  Capt.  C.:  Narr.  of  an 
Exped.  into  Central  Australia  (Lond.,  1849),  vol.  ii.  app.  p.  45.  See 
Miiller,  Karl:  Ein  Lieblingsvogel  des  Volkes.  (Gartenlaube,  1876, 
p.  300.) 

For  ventriloquism  explained  by  rapid  changes  of  position,  see  Jefferies, 
R. :  Wild  life  in  a  Southern  County  (Boston,  1889),  pp.  195,  196. 


152  WOOD  NOTES   WILD. 

WHITE-THROATED  SPARROW.  —  Contin. 

report  that  the  birds  sing  out  of  tune :  "  The  B  in  the  last 
form  was  often  sung  most  outrageously  flat."  —  Goodwin, 

W.  L. :  Music  in  Nature.     (Nature,  vol.  xxxvii.,  1887-88,  pp.  151-152.) 

A.  G.  Wilkinson  heard  what  he  took  for  the  white- 
throat's  singing  on  the  Dartmouth  Kiver.  "  Between  each 
double  bar  is  a  single  song.  Numbers  1  and  2  are 
different  songs  of  one  bird,  and  Numbers  3  and  4  are  songs 
of  another  bird":  — 


l-f 

Andante. 

r 

F& 

4     T       ! 

1       1 

1     II 

-^4— 

r 

4  r 


i     i     i     i   ^r     ii   ^r    r     r    IT     n 

(In  Mayer,  A.  M.,  ed.:  Sport  with  Gun  and  Rod,  p.  436.) 

"  There  is  one  other  bird  worthy  of  distinction  from  a  similar  quality  of 
music.  I  refer  to  the  white-throated  sparrow.  I  give  their  song,  like 
the  thrush's,  a  simple  melody,  and  yet,  like  the  thrush's,  true  to  the 
human  scale,  and  of  course  true  to  the  law  of  harmony.  I  awoke,  one 
morning,  five  thousand  feet  above  tide-water,  to  a  concert  of  these  birds, 
such  as  no  man  ever  heard  at  a  lower  elevation,  and  such  as  I  never  ex- 
pect to  hear  repeated.  There  seemed  to  be  half  a  dozen  within  a  stone's 
throw,  and  all  pouring  out  their  welcome  to  the  new  day.  But  mind  you 
this  fact,  it  was  a  solo  concert ;  as  each  in  turn  uttered  its  simple  melody, 
not  one  infringed  on  the  time  of  another  or  gave  a  note  except  in  regular 
succession.  I  marked  four  distinct  variations  in  their  song,  which  I  give, 
and  which  you  will  see  are  all  common  chords  of  the  human  scale : "  — 


I 


EE 


(Horsford,  B.,  in  a  letter  to  the  Editor,  dated  October,  1890. ) 
See  Burroughs,  J. :  Wake-robin,  p.  87. 


APPENDIX.  153 

WHITE-THROATED  SPARROW.  —  Contin. 

The  typical  songs  of  two  Pacific  coast  cousins  of  the 
white-throat  are  recorded  in  Zoe,  vol.  L,  1891,  p.  72,  by 
C.  A.  Keeler. 

GAMBEL'S  WHITE-CROWNED  SPARROW.        GOLDEN-CROWNED  SPARROW. 
(Z.  leucophrys  gambeli.)  (Z.  Cor&nata.) 


Morning  Song-. 

Mr.  Horsford  having  given  us  an  account  of  a  morning 
concert  in  New  England,  let  us  listen  to  a  report  of  one  in 
the  "gorgeous  and  sunny  Jamaica  " :  — 

"  In  these  excursions  I  was  interested  in  marking  the  successive  awak- 
ening of  the  early  birds.  Passing  through  the  wooded  pastures  and 
Guinea-grass  fields  of  the  upland  slopes,  while  the  stars  were  twinkling 
overhead ;  while  as  yet  no  indication  of  day  appeared  over  the  dark  moun- 
tain-peak, no  ruddy  tinge  streamed  along  the  east ;  while  Venus  was  blaz- 
ing like  a  lamp,  and  shedding  as  much  light  as  a  young  moon,  as  she 
climbed  up  the  clear,  dark  heaven  among  her  fellow-stars,  —  the  night-jars 
were  unusually  vociferous,  uttering  their  singular  note,  '  wittawittawit,' 
with  pertinacious  iteration,  as  they  careered  in  great  numbers,  flying  low, 
as  their  voices  clearly  indicated,  yet  utterly  indistinguishable  to  the  sight 
from  the  darkness  of  the  sky  across  which  they  flitted  in  their  triangular 
traverses.  Presently  the  flat-bill  uttered  his  plaintive  wail,  occasionally 
relieved  by  a  note  somewhat  less  mournful.  When  the  advancing  light 
began  to  break  over  the  black  and  frowning  peaks,  and  Venus  waned, 
the  peadove  from  her  neighboring  wood  commenced  her  fivefold  coo, 
hollow  and  moaning.  Then  the  petchary,  from  the  top  of  a  tall  cocoa- 
palm,  cackled  his  three  or  four  rapid  notes,  "  OP,  PP,  P,  Q  J "  and  from 
a  distant  wooded  hill,  as  yet  shrouded  in  darkness,  proceeded  the  rich, 
mellow,  but  broken  song  of  the  hopping-dick-thrush,  closely  resembling 
that  of  our  own  blackbird.  Now  the  whole  east  was  ruddy. 


154  WOOD  NOTES   WILD. 

WHITE-THROATED  SPARROW.  —  Contin. 

"  The  harsh  screams  of  the  clucking  hen  came  up  from  a  gloomy  gorge, 
and  from  the  summit  of  the  mountain  were  faintly  heard  the  lengthened 
flute-like  notes,  in  measured  cadence,  of  the  solitaire.1  Then  mocking- 
birds all  around  broke  into  song,  pouring  forth  their  rich  gushes  and 
powerful  bursts  of  melody,  with  a  profusion  that  filled  the  ear,  and  over- 
powered all  the  other  varied  voices,  which  were  by  this  time  too  numerous 
to  be  separately  distinguished,  but  which  all  helped  to  swell  the  morning 
concert  of  woodland  music."  —  Gosse,  P.  H. :  Romance  of  Nat.  Hist.,  pp.  17-18. 

For  night  songs  see  Index,  Night  Songs. 

EHYTHM. 

The  author  asserts  of  the  white-throated  sparrow  that 
the  "  charm  of  his  song  lies  in  the  rhythm."  The  writers 
on  bird  music  are  quite  at  odds  on  the  point  of  rhythm. 
Mr.  Maurice  Thompson  says  :  — 

"  There  is  no  such  an  element  as  the  rhythmic  beat  in  any  bird-song 
that  I  have  heard.  Modulation  and  fine  shades  of  '  color/  as  the  musical 
critic  has  it,  together  with  melodious  phrasing,  take  the  place  of  rhythm. 
The  meadow-lark,  in  its  mellow  fluting,  comes  very  near  to  a  measure  of 
two  rhythmic  beats,  and  the  mourning  dove  puts  a  throbbing  cadence  into 
its  plaint ;  but  the  accent  which  the  human  ear  demands  is  wholly  want- 
ing in  each  case. 

"  The  absence  of  true  rhythm  probably  is  significant  of  a  want  of  power 
to  appreciate  genuine  music,  the  bird's  comprehension  compassing  no  more 
than  the  value  of  sweet  sounds  merely  as  such."  —  Thompson,  M. :  Sylvan 
Secrets,  pp.  77, 83. 

Mr.  Thompson  offers  the  suggestion  that  the  "chief 
difference  between  the  highest  order  of  bird-music  and  the 
lowest  order  of  man-music  is  expressed  by  the  word 
rhythm."  It  is  more  natural  to  suspect  that  the  order  of 
development  in  bird  melody  is  similar  to  that  in  human 
melody,  hence  that  rhythm  is  the  first  step.  At  any  rate, 
1  See  Index,  Solitaire. 


APPENDIX.  155 

WHITE-THROATED  SPARROW.  —  Contin. 

we  may  go  so  far  as  to  say  with  Mr.  Tally  that  there  is  in 
bird  music  "  clearly  an  adumbration  of  the  simpler  forms 
of  rhythm." 

See  Index,  Beckler  (note).  See  also  Index,  Cuckoo;  also  Hermit 
Thrush,  where  the  song  is  reported  as  suggesting  the  "opening  of  a 
grand  overture." 

Fox-colored  Sparrow.  (See  p.  44.) 
Mr.  Torrey  finds  a  "  thrush-like  "  quality  in  the  song  of 
the  fox- sparrow ;  more,  however,  of  the  cardinal  grosbeak. 
(A  happy  report  of  a  song  contest  between  a  fox-sparrow 
and  a  song-sparrow  is  to  be  found  in  his  "  Birds  in  the 
Bush,"  pp.  219-220.)  Mr.  Burroughs  speaks  briefly  but 
decidedly:  — 

"  It  is  a  strong,  richly  modulated  whistle,  the  finest  sparrow  note  I 
have  ever  heard."  —  Burroughs,  J.  :  Wake-robin,  p.  163. 

"During  their  stay  in  the  United  States  these  birds  keep  in  small 
distinctive  flocks,  never  mingling,  though  often  in  the  same  places,  with 
other  species.  They  are  found  in  the  edge  of  thickets  and  in  moist  woods. 
They  are  usually  silent,  and  only  occasionally  utter  a  call-note,  low  and 
soft.  In  the  spring  the  male  becomes  quite  musical,  and  is  one  of  our 
sweetest  and  most  remarkable  singers.  His  voice  is  loud,  clear,  and 
melodious ;  his  notes  full,  rich,  and  varied  ;  and  his  song  is  unequalled  by 
any  of  this  family  that  I  have  ever  heard."  —  Baird,  Brewer,  and 
Ridgway :  North  Am.  Birds.  Land-Birds,  vol.  ii.  p.  52. 

Chewink.    (See  p.  45.) 

Mr.  Torrey,  too,  finds  the  chewink  "  taking  liberties  with 
his  score  " :  "  He  carries  the  matter  so  far  that  sometimes 
it  seems  almost  as  if  he  suspected  the  proximity  of  some 
self-conceited  ornithologist,  and  were  determined,  if  pos- 
sible, to  make  a  fool  of  him  "  (In  his  Birds  in  the  Bush, 
p.  39). 


156  WOOD  NOTES   WILD. 

CHEWINK.  —  Contin. 

See  Index,  Extemporizing.  See  also  Knapp,  J.  L.:  Eng.  Song 
Thrush,  in  his  Journal  of  a  Naturalist  (London,  1838),  p.  270. 

Mr.  Flagg  seems  not  to  find  that  the  chewink  extem- 
porizes. "  His  song,"  he  says,  "  consists  of  two  long  notes, 
the  first  about  a  third  above  the  second,  and  the  last  part 
made  up  of  several  rapidly  uttered  liquid  notes,  about  one 
tone  below  the  first  note  : "  — 


In  his  A  Year  with  the  Birds,  p.  96. 

Mr.  Flagg  and  our  author  are  far  apart  on  the  more 
common  song  of  the  chewink. 

Yellow  Warbler.    (See  p.  47.) 

Mr.  Nelson's  description  of  this  song  could  not  follow 
closer  the  musical  notation  in  the  present  volume  had  it 
been  written  with  the  music  before  his  eyes :  "  Five  or  six 
pipes,  ending  abruptly  in  a  sharp  quaver,  the  whole  uttered 
with  great  rapidity." 

Yellow  Warbler  and  Goldfinch. 

Between  the  vocal  powers  of  this  bird  and  the  goldfinch, 
(Chrysomitris  tristis),  indiscriminately  classed  with  him 
as  one  of  the  "  yellow-birds,"  there  is  a  noteworthy  differ- 
ence. The  goldfinch  is  a  rival  of  his  famous  relative,  the 
canary :  — 

"  No  one  of  our  birds  has  a  sweeter  voice  than  the  goldfinch,  and  its 
plaintive  che-we',  che-weah  as  it  balances  on  an  aster-head,  or  rises  and  falls 


APPENDIX.  157 

YELLOW  WARBLER  AND  GOLDFINCH.  —  Contin. 

in  its  billowy  flight,  is  one  of  the  most  delicious  of  rural  sounds.  But  in 
spring  the  male  has  a  love-song  excelled  by  few  other  birds.  It  is  '  sweet, 
brilliant  and  pleasing  .  .  .  now  ringing  like  the  loud  voice  of  the  canary, 
now  sinking  into  a  soft  warble/"  —  Ingersoll,  E.,  and  others:  Habits  of 
Animals. 

Chestnut-sided  Warbler.    (See  notation  on  p.  49.) 

[The  song  of  the  chestnut-sided  warbler]  "is  attractive  and  musical, 
though  containing  but  a  few  simple  notes.  One  variation  resembles  the 
syllables  wee-see-wee-see-wee-see  (each  of  which  is  higher  than  the 
preceding,  except  the  sixth,  which  is  lower  than  the  fifth).  The  other 
common  variation  is  almost  exactly  like  the  song  of  the  little  yellow- 
bird,  and  consequently  like  that  of  various  other  warblers."  —  Minot, 
H.  D.:  Land-birds  and  Game-birds  of  N.  E.,  p.  108. 

See  Luiit,  H. :  Across  Lots,  p.  122. 

Mr.  Burroughs  describes  the  song  of  the  chestnut-sided  warbler  as 
"  fine  and  hurried." 

Black-throated  Green  Warbler.    (See  p.  48.) 

"  This  song  is  something  like  the  syllables  ta-te-te-it-ta-tee,  uttered  in  a 
plaintive  tone,  —  the  first  syllable  low,  the  second  higher,  the  third  and 
fourth  quickly  together  and  high,  and  the  fifth  and  sixth  a  little  slower 
and  lower.  Its  song  is  peculiar,  and  cannot  be  confounded  with  that  of 
any  other  warbler  in  New  England."  —  Samuels,  E.  A. :  Our  Northern  and 
Eastern  Birds,  p.  224. 

"The  ordinary  notes  of  the  'black-throated  greens'  are  numerous, 
being  a  tsip,  a  chick,  which  is  sometimes  soft  and  sometimes  loud,  a  check, 
a  chuck,  which  is  used  chiefly  as  a  note  of  alarm,  and  a  sharp  chink,  which 
is  generally  indicative  of  distress.  Their  song  has  several  variations,  of 
which  the  two  most  often  heard  are  wee-see-wee'-see-wee'-see  (in  which  the 
middle  notes  are  the  highest)  and  wee-see-wee-see-see  (in  which  the  second 
note  is  higher  than  the  rest,  the  second  couplet  uttered  in  a  lively  way, 
and  the  other  notes  drawled  out  in  a  manner  peculiar  to  this  species). 
To  these  simple  chants  a  few  terminal  notes  are  not  infrequently  added, 
which  sometimes  consist  of  a  repetition,  and  rarely  resemble  those  of 
the  '  black-throated  blue's '  music.  These  songs  are  very  characteristic  ; 
and  if  one  has  once  heard  them,  he  cannot  often  confound  them  with 
those  of  other  birds."  —  Minot,  H.  D.:  Land-birds  and  Game-birds  of  N.  E., 
p.  119. 


158  WOOD  NOTES    WILD. 

BLACK-THROATED  GREEN  WARBLER.  —  Contin. 

See  Lunt,  H. :  Across  Lots,  p.  72. 

Nuttall  describes  the  black-throat's  song  as  a  "  quaint  and  indolent  ditty." 
For  a  pleasant  chat  about  the  warblers  see  Amory,  Catherine :  Birds 
in  Wood  and  Field.     (Swiss  Cross,  vol.  iv.,  1888,  no.  6,  p.  162.) 

Redstart.    (Seep.  51.) 

Mr.  Cheney  was  taking  his  bird-songs  at  Lynn  and 
Franklin  while  Mr.  Nelson  was  making  observations  at 
Worcester,  and  their  reports  —  though  neither  knew  of 
the  existence  of  the  other  —  are  even  nearer  together  than 
the  localities  where  they  were  engaged.1  Mr.  Nelson  de- 
scribes the  redstart's  song  as  "much  resembling  that  of 
the  yellow  warbler,  though  considerably  shorter  and 
weaker." 

"The  song  of  the  redstart  is  simple  and  pleasing,  but  constantly  varied. 
Sometimes  it  is  merely  a  rather  shrill  che-we'e-o  or  che-we'e-o-we'e-o,  at  other 
times  it  is  che-we'e-see-we'e-see-ivee,  or  a  soft  we'e-see-we'e-see-wee,  much  like 
the  song  of  the  yellow-bird  (D.  cestiva),  and  again  a  series  or  repetition 
of  a  few  gentle  notes,  which  form  an  indefinite  song."  —  Minot,  H.  D. : 
Land-birds  and  Game-birds  of  N.  E.,  p.  131. 

"Nuttall's  description  of  the  movements  of  this  brisk 
bird  sounds  like  one  of  the  happier  passages  of  Homer : 

"  He  does  not,  like  the  loitering  pewee,  wait  the  accidental 
approach  of  the  insect  prey  ;  but  carrying  the  war  amongst 
them,  he  is  seen  flitting  from  bough  to  bough,  or  at  times  pur- 
suing the  flying  troop  of  winged  insects  from  the  top  of  the 
tallest  tree  in  a  zig-zag,  hawk-like,  descending  flight,  to  the 
ground,  while  the  clicking  of  the  bill  declares  distinctly  both 
his  object  and  success." 

See  also  Lunt,  H. :  Across  Lots,  p.  103. 

1  For  another  instance  of  close  agreement  with  a  second  reporter  see 
Index,  Wood  Thrush. 


APPENDIX.  159 


Cat-bird.    (Seep.  52.) 

"  Next  after  the  thrasher  and  the  mocking-bird,  '  prince  of  song/  the 
palm  must  be  awarded  to  this  humble  tenant  of  the  shrubbery  for  power 
of  mimicry  and  range  of  vocalization,  as  well  as  for  sweetness  of  execution 
in  singing."  —  Steams,  W.  A. :  N.  E.  Bird-life  (ed.  by  Dr.  E.  Coues),  part  i. 
p.  64. 

See  Our  Birds.     (New  Eng.  Mag.,  vol.  i.,  1831,  pp.  227-230.) 

Brown  Thrush.    (See  p.  54.) 

"  Our  brown  thrush  is  a  magnificent  singer,  albeit  he  is  not  of  the  best 
school,  being  too  '  sensational '  to  suit  the  most  exacting  taste.  His  song 
is  a  grand  improvisation :  a  good  deal  jumbled,  to  be  sure,  and  without 
any  recognizable  form  or  theme ;  and  yet,  like  a  Liszt  rhapsody,  it  per- 
fectly answers  its  purpose,  —  that  is,  it  gives  the  performer  full  scope  to 
show  what  he  can  do  with  his  instrument.  You  may  laugh  a  little,  if  you 
like,  at  an  occasional  grotesque  or  overwrought  passage,  but  unless  you 
are  well  used  to  it  you  will  surely  be  astonished.  Such  power  and  range 
of  voice;  such  startling  transitions;  such  endless  variety!  And  withal 
such  boundless  enthusiasm  and  almost  incredible  endurance !  Regarded 
as  pure  music,  one  strain  of  the  hermit  thrush  is  to  my  mind  worth  the 
whole  of  it ;  just  as  a  single  movement  of  Beethoven's  is  better  than  a 
world  of  Liszt  transcriptions.  But  in  its  own  way  it  is  unsurpassable."  — 
Torrey,  B. :  Birds  in  the  Bush,  p.  117. 

"  The  song  of  this  bird  is  difficult  of  description  :  it  is  a  sort  of  confused 
mixture  of  the  notes  of  different  birds,  or  rather  seems  to  be,  but  is  really 
its  own  song,  as  different  individuals  all  sing  nearly  alike.  The  fact 
that  it  resembles  the  Mocking-bird  in  its  medley  of  notes  has  caused  it 
to  be  called,  in  some  localities,  the  Brown  Mocker ;  and  it  is  also  sometimes 
called  the  Mavis  and  Nightingale,  from  its  habit  of  singing  in  the  night 
during  the  mating  season." — Samuels,  E.  A.:  Our  Northern  and  Eastern 
Birds,  p.  165. 

For  a  tribute  to  the  thrasher's  genius  by  one  that  "  crowns  and  anoints 
him  Prince  of  the  Poets  of  the  Wild-wood,"  see  Munger,  C.  A. :  "  Four 
Amer.  Birds."  (Putnam's  Mag.,  N.  s.  vol.  iii.,  1869,  pp.  728-729.) 

NIGHT  SONGS. 

This  nightingale  by  no  means  has  the  night  to  himself. 
Not  to  speak  of  our  home  birds,  the  choir  of  his  fellow 


160  WOOD  NOTES    WILD. 

NIGHT  SOXGS.  —  Contin. 

singers  across  the  water  is  large  and  strong  enough  for 

broad  day. 

"Within  one  hour,  from  11.30  P.  M.  to  12.30  A.  M.,  I  heard  the  cuckoo, 
nightingale,  thrush,  wood-lark,  reed-wren,  white-throat,  willow-wren.  Soon 
after  1  A.  M.  I  heard,  in  addition  to  the  foregoing,  the  chaffinch,  the  wren, 
and  the  chiff-chaff ;  and  after  two  o'clock  there  was  such  a  general  min- 
gling of  voices  that  it  was  possible  only  to  distinguish  the  thrush,  cuckoo, 
chaffinch,  and  robin,  whose  utterances  are  so  distinct  as  to  be  at  all  times 
unmistakable.  Far  away  on  the  borders  of  the  New  Forest,  and  among 
the  crowded  slopes  of  Herefordshire,  I  have  at  night  heard  the  golden 
oriole,  the  ring-ousel,  the  water-ousel,  and  the  gray  wag-tail,  —  the  last 
to  be  seen  as  well  as  heard  during  moonlight  at  the  midnight  hour; 
but  none  of  these,  so  far  as  I  know,  visit  the  gardens  near  London."  — 
Hibberd,  S. :  Minstrels  of  the  Summer.  (Intellectual  Observer,  vol.  ii.,  Aug., 
1862,  p.  19  ) 

Mocking-bird  ot  Jamaica. 

"  It  is  in  the  stillness  of  the  night,  when  like  his  European  namesake 
[the  nightingale],  he  delights  — 

'  With  wakeful  melody  to  cheer 
The  livelong  hours/ 

that  the  song  of  this  bird  is  heard  to  advantage.  Sometimes,  when,  desirous 
of  watching  the  first  flight  of  Urania  Sloaneus,  I  have  ascended  the  moun- 
tains before  break  of  day,  I  have  been  charmed  by  the  rich  gushes  and 
bursts  of  melody  proceeding  from  the  most  sweet  songster,  as  he  stood  on 
tiptoe  on  the  topmost  twig  of  some  sour-sop  or  orange-tree,  in  the  rays  of 
the  bright  moonlight.  Now  he  is  answered  by  another,  and  now  another 
joins  the  chorus  from  the  trees  around,  till  the  woods  and  savannahs  are 
ringing  with  the  delightful  sounds  of  exquisite  and  innocent  joy."  —  Gosse, 
P.  H. :  Birds  of  Jamaica  (London,  1847),  p.  145. 

Wood  Thrush.    (See  p.  56.) 

"  But  how  much  there  is  to  learn  !  l  And  I  cannot  find 
it  in  the  books.  I  am  more  and  more  astonished  that  the 

1  "  His  [the  author's]  method  of  work  was  to  ascertain  the  haunts  of 
the  birds  whose  songs  he  wished  to  secure,  and  to  seek  them  there,  some- 


APPENDIX.  ^:W 

WOOD  THRUSH.  —  Contin. 

music  of  the  birds  has  received  so  little  attention.     The 
other  evening  I  heard  these  notes :  — 


Is  it  not  wonderful  that  a  bird  should  give  so  exquisite  a 
succession  of  tones  ?  No  human  genius  can  surpass  it.  I 
repeat  it,  the  birds  have  found  out  the  beautiful  and  have 

been  our  teachers."  —  C.,  S.  P.,  in  a  letter  dated  June  17,  1885. 

"In  elaborate  technique  and  delicious  portamento,  it  surpasses  all  the 
other  thrushes.  .  .  .  The  wood  thrushes,  more  than  any  other  birds  I 
know  of,  exhibit  various  degrees  of  excellence,  some  individuals  singing 
much  more  beautifully  than  others."  —  Nelson,  H.  L. :  Birds  songs  about 
Worcester,  p.  46. 

For  variations  in  songs  of  birds  of  the  same  species,  see  Index :  Soiigs, 
Variations  in. 

"  The  song  of  this  thrush  is  one  of  its  most  remarkable  and  pleasing 
characteristics.  No  lover  of  sweet  sounds  can  have  failed  to  notice  it, 
and  having  once  known  its  source,  no  one  can  fail  to  recognize  it  when 
heard  again.  The  melody  is  one  of  great  sweetness  and  power,  and  con- 
sists of  several  parts,  the  last  note  of  which  resembles  the  tinkling  of  a 

times  with  a  friend,  but  oftener  alone  with  his  pitch-pipe  and  a  scrap  of 
music-paper.  When  successful,  he  would  return,  elated  and  beaming,  to 
talk  about  his  experience,  and  transfer  the  song  he  had  taken,  after  writ- 
ing it  carefully  over,  to  a  sheet  of  music  paper,  for  reference  when  he 
should  write  up  the  description,  later. 

"  He  said  that  the  first  song  of  a  bird,  or  rather  on  hearing  a  song  for 
the  first  time,  it  did  not  present  itself  clearly  to  his  mind.  It  was  only 
after  several  repetitions  that  he  unravelled  it  and  was  able  to  write  it  out. 

"  When  at  work,  writing  up  his  descriptions,  he  usually  preferred  to  be 
alone,  but  invariably  would  wish  to  read  aloud  what  he  had  written  and 
talk  about  it,  and  would  generally  end  by  saying,  even  though  changes 

were  suggested, '  Well,  I '11  send  it  to just  as  it  is  and  see  what 

he  says  to  it.'  His  best  work  was  always  done  in  the  morning  or  first 
part  of  the  day."  —  Cheney,  Mrs.  Julia  C.,  in  a  letter  to  the  editor,  dated  July 
14,  1890,  Franklin,  Mass. 

11 


162  WOOD  NOTES    WILD. 

WOOD  THRUSH.  —  Contin. 

small  bell,  and  seems  to  leave  the  conclusion  suspended.  Each  part  of  its 
song  seems  sweeter  and  richer  than  the  preceding."  —  Bah  d,  Brewer,  and 
Ridgway  :  North  American  Birds.  Land-Birds,  vol.  i  p.  9 

"  The  prelude  to  this  song  resembles  almost  the  double-  tonguing  of  the 
flute,  blended  with  a  tinkling,  shrill,  and  solemn  warble,  which  re-echoes 
from  his  solitary  retreat  like  the  dirge  of  some  sad  recluse,  who  shuns  the 
busy  haunts  of  life.  The  whole  air  consists  usually  of  four  parts,  or  bars, 
which  succeed  in  deliberate  time,  and  finally  blend  together  in  impressive 
and  soothing  harmony,  becoming  more  mellow  and  sweet  at  every  repeti- 
tion." —  Nnttall,  T. :  Manual  of  Ornithology,  p.  391. 

See  Our  Birds.     (New  Eng.  Mag.,  vol.  i.,  1831,  pp.  330-331.) 

Big-tree  Thrush. 

Mr.  L.  Belding,  in  his  paper,  "  The  Small  Thrushes  of 
California  "  (Calif.  Acad.  Sci.,  Proceedings,  2d  ser.,  vol.  ii., 
Oct.  1,  1889,  pp.  68,  69),  gives  the  song  of  the  big-tree 
thrush  (Turdus  sequoiensis). 


Slow. 

Compare  first  two  measures  of  No.  1  with  this  :  — 
WOOD  THRUSH. 

And  first  measure  of  No.  2  with  this  :  — 

WOOD  THRUSH. 


APPENDIX.  163 

BIG-TREE  THRUSH.  —  Contin. 

Mr.  Belding  writes  under  date  January  6, 1891 :  — 

"  I  am  familiar  with  the  songs  of  the  veery,  of  Mustelinus, 
and  all  which  breed  in  Northern  Pennsylvania.  The  tone  of 
T.  Sequoiensis  is  strikingly  different  from  that  of  any  thrush  I 
know,  though  it  is  remarkable  that  its  most  frequent  song  has 
the  identical  intervals  that  the  wood  thrush  has.  I  have  lis- 
tened to  the  song  of  T.  Sequoiensis  many,  many  hours,  usually 
toward  evening,  often  when  it  was  quite  dark." 

Tawny  Thrush.    (See  p.  58.) 

"  The  song  of  this  thrush  is  quaint,  but  not  unmusical ;  variable  in  its 
character,  changing  from  a  prolonged  and  monotonous  whistle  to  quick 
and  almost  shrill  notes  at  the  close.  Their  melody  is  not  unfrequently 
prolonged  until  quite  late  in  the  evening,  and  in  consequence  in  some 
portions  of  Massachusetts  these  birds  are  distinguished  with  the  name  of 
Nightingale,  —  a  distinction  due  rather  to  the  season  than  to  the  high  qual- 
ity of  their  song.  Yet  Mr.  Ridgway  regards  it,  as  heard  by  himself  in  Utah, 
as  superior  in  some  respects  to  that  of  all  others  of  the  genus,  though  far 
surpassed  in  mellow  richness  of  voice  and  depth  of  metallic  tone  by  that 
of  the  Wood  Thrush  ( T.  mustelinus).  To  his  ear  there  was  a  solemn  har- 
mony and  a  beautiful  expression  which  combined  to  make  the  song  of 
this  surpass  that  of  all  the  other  American  Wood  Thrushes.  The  beauty 
of  their  notes  appeared  in  his  ears  '  really  inspiring,  their  song  consisting 
of  an  inexpressibly  delicate  metallic  utterance  of  the  syllables  ta-weel'  ah, 
ta-weel'  ah,  twil'  ah,  twil'  ah,  accompanied  by  a  fine  trill  which  renders  it 
truly  seductive/  The  last  two  notes  are  said  to  be  uttered  in  a  soft  and 
subdued  undertone,  producing  thereby,  in  effect,  an  echo  of  the  others."  — 
Bairtl,  Brewer,  and  Ridgway :  North  Amer.  Birds.  Land-Birds,  vol.  i.  p.  10. 

Mr.  Nelson  regards  the  veery's  as  the  most  "spiritual"  of  all  bird- 
songs  ;  Nuttall  prefers  the  song  of  the  wood- thrush. 

See  Our  Birds.     (New  Eng.  Mag.,  vol.  i.  1831,  p.  332.) 

"  All  bird-songs  are  delicate  things.  It  is  impossible  to 
represent  them  in  all  respects.  One  can  give  only  the 
naked  frame-work.  The  quality  of  tone  and  a  thousand 
graceful  touches  can  only  be  heard.  If  ever  my  bird-songs 


164  WOOD  NOTES   WILD. 

TAWNY  THRUSH.  —  Contin. 

come  before  the  public,  I  shall  expect  to  hear  people 
generally  say,  as  they  look  at  them, '  Why !  is  that  all ! ' 
etc.,  etc.  The  song  of  the  Wilson  thrush  is  an  illustration 
of  what  I  mean.  It  is  very  short,  but  nothing  can  exceed 
its  bewitching  beauty.  It  is  all  on  the  swing  and  jingle : " 


Letter  from  S.  P.  C.  to  Franklin  Fairbanks,  Esq.,  dated  Jan.  3,  1886. 

Hermit  Thrush.    (See  p.  59.) 

Mr.  Nelson,  in  a  careful  comparison  of  the  singing  of 
this  thrush  with  that  of  the  wood  thrush  and  of  the  veery, 
makes  it  stand  out  very  distinctly.  With  his  accustomed 
accuracy,  he  mentions  the  abrupt  change  of  key.  (In  his 
Bird-songs  about  Worcester,  p.  111.) 

Mr.  Burroughs  describes  the  hermit's  song  as  higher  in 
key,  "more  wild  and  ethereal/'  than  that  of  the  wood 
thrush.  "His  instrument  is  a  silver  horn,  which  he 
winds  in  the  most  solitary  places.  The  song  of  the  wood 
thrush  is  more  golden  and  leisurely.  Its  tone  comes  near 
to  that  of  some  rare  stringed  instrument."  But  finer  than 
all,  the  hermit's  song  is  to  him  "the  voice  of  that  calm, 
sweet  solemnity  one  attains  to  in  his  best  moments.  It 
realizes  a  peace  and  a  deep  solemn  joy  that  only  the 
finest  souls  may  know."  (In  his  Wake-robin,  pp.  33,  60.) 

As  Samuels  heard  the  song  of  this  thrush  it  was  so 
similar  to  that  of  the  wood  thrush  that  for  a  long  time 
he  supposed  it  to  be  the  wood  thrush  that  was  singing. 
NotsoNuttall:  — 


APPENDIX.  165 

HERMIT  THRUSH.  —  Contin. 

"  This  species,  so  much  like  the  nightingale  in  color,  is  scarce  inferior 
to  that  celebrated  bird  in  its  powers  of  song,  and  greatly  exceeds  the  wood 
thrush  in  the  melody  and  sweetness  of  its  lay."  —  In  his  Manual  of  Orni- 
thology, etc.,  p.  394. 

"  The  song  of  this  species  is  very  fine,  having  many  of  the  character- 
istics of  that  of  the  Wood  Thrush  (2\  mustelinus).  It  is  as  sweet,  has  the 
same  tinkling  sounds,  as  of  a  bell,  but  is  neither  so  powerful  nor  so  pro- 
longed, and  rises  more  rapidly  in  its  intonations.  It  begins  with  low, 
sweet  notes,  and  ends  abruptly  with  its  highest,  sharp,  ringing  notes."  — 
Baird,  Brewer,  and  liidgway :  North  American  Birds.  Land-Birds,  vol.  i.  p.  19. 

"At  times  the  hermit  thrush  is  heard  chanting  a  low  and  musical 
song,  but  it  is  destitute  of  those  sweet,  clear,  and  rich  tones  which  charac- 
terize the  song  of  the  wood  thrush."  —  Giraud,  J.  P.,  Jr. :  Birds  of  Long 
Island,  p.  90. 

See  Horsf  ord,  B. :  Our  Wood  Thrushes.  ( Forest  and  Stream,  vol.  xviii., 
May  25, 1882.) 

Mr.  Horsford  writes  that  song  No.  2  of  this  article 
should  read  as  follows:  — 

THRUSH.    Song  No.  2. 
The  last  note  of  each  bar  fades  out  in  a  soft  cadence. 


hgH1  — 

Pie- 

_,  *  —  13  -fr- 
o  -  la,  pie  -  o  - 

J        * 
la  (wut,wut,wut,wut)  so       la 

8i 

Pie  - 

-J  '  —  J—  — 
o  -  la  (wut,wut)  so 

la     shurr-r-r-r 

3— 
pie  -  o  - 

la. 

For  further  description  of  songs  of  the  thrushes,  see  Amory,  Catherine : 
Birds  in  May.  (Swiss  Cross,  vol.  iii.  no.  6,  p.  1.)  —  Higginson,  T.  W. :  Out- 
door Papers,  pp.  306-310.  —  Nehrling,  H. :  North  Amer.  Birds,  part.  i. 


Oven-Bird.    (-Seep.  62.) 

Mr.  Nelson  was  fortunate  enough  to  hear  the  song  heard 
by  others.  To  him  it  was  a  "  delicious  warble "  and  a 
"  love  song." 


166  WOOD  NOTES   WILD. 

OVEN-BIRD.  —  Contin. 

"  The  ordinary  song  of  the  oven-bird,  but  for  its  inseparable  association 
with  the  quiet  recesses  of  summer  woods,  would  certainly  seem  to  us  mon- 
otonous and  commonplace ;  and  the  bird's  persistent  reiteration  of  this 
plain  song  might  well  lead  us  to  believe  that  it  had  no  higher  vocal  capa- 
bility. But  it  is  now  well  known  that,  on  occasions,  as  if  sudden  emotions 
carried  it  beyond  the  restrictions  that  ordinarily  beset  its  expression,  it 
bursts  forth  with  a  wild  outpouring  of  intricate  and  melodious  song, 
proving  itself  the  superior  vocalist  of  the  trio  of  pseudo-thrushes  of 
which  it  is  so  unassuming  a  member.  This  song  is  produced  on  the 
wing,  oftenest  when  the  spell  of  evening  is  coming  over  the  woods. 
Sometimes  it  may  be  heard  as  an  outburst  of  vesper  melody  carried 
above  the  foliage  of  the  shadowy  forest  and  descending  and  dying  away 
with  the  waning  twilight."  —  Bicknell,  E.  P.  :  A  Study  of  the  Singing  of  our 
Birds.  (The  Auk,  vol.  i.,  July,  1884,  p.  214.) 

See  Burroughs,  J., :  Wake-robin,  pp.  65-66.  —  Lunt,  H. :  Across 
Lots,  p.  99. 

Limit  of  Verbal  Description. 

That  the  oven-bird  has  a  beautiful  song  is  beyond 
question,  but  many  as  the  descriptions  of  it  may  be,  can 
we  get  from  these  a  true  idea  of  it,  or  of  the  song  of  any 
other  bird  ?  The  shape,  size,  color,  habits,  and  haunts  of 
the  bird  are  within  reach  of  patience  and  care;  but  to 
fasten  the  song,  the  "spirit,"  as  our  author  terms  it, — 
there  it  is  that  difficulty  begins.  The  most  accurate 
musical  notation  cannot  hope  to  reproduce  the  tone  and 
manner  of  delivery ;  by  how  much  the  more  is  it  true  that 
words  must  fail  to  approximate  a  report  of  what  the  birds 
say.  The  oven-bird  is  a  case  in  point :  — 

"Audubon  calls  it  [the  song  of  the  oven-bird]  a  'simple  lay'  and 
again  '  a  short  succession  of  simple  notes/  —  expressions  that  would  give 
one  who  had  never  heard  its  song  an  altogether  incorrect  idea  of  its  true 
character.  Wilson  is  still  more  in  error  when  he  states  that  this  bird  has 
no  song,  but  an  energetic  twitter,  when  in  fact  it  has  two  very  distinct 


APPENDIX.  167 

LIMIT  OF  VERBAL  DESCRIPTION.  —  Contin. 

songs,  each  in  its  way  remarkable.  Nuttall  describes  its  song  as  '  a  simple, 
long,  reiterated  note,  rising  from  low  to  high,  and  shrill ; '  Richardson 
speaks  of  it  as  '  a  loud,  clear,  and  remarkably  pleasing  ditty ; '  and  Mr. 
Allen  calls  it  'a  loud,  echoing  song,  heard  everywhere  in  the  deep 
woods.'  —  Baird,  Brewer,  and  Kidgway  :  North  American  Birds.  Land- 
Birds,  voL  i.  p.  282. 

Night-Hawk.    (See  p.  66.) 

"  At  early  evening,  and  in  cloudy  weather  throughout  the  greater  part 
of  the  day,  he  ascends  into  the  air ;  and  when  he  has  attained  a  consider- 
able height,  partially  closing  his  wings,  he  drops  with  great  velocity 
through  the  distance  of  seventy-five  or  one  hundred  feet,  sometimes 
nearly  to  the  earth.  The  sound  made  by  the  air  passing  through  the 
wing  quills  is  so  loud  that  I  have  often  heard  it  at  certainly  the  distance 
of  half  a  mile;  it  resembles,  as  Nuttall  truly  says,  the  sound  produced 
by  blowing  into  the  bung-hole  of  an  empty  hogshead.  This  act  is  often 
repeated,  the  bird  darting  about  at  the  same  time  in  every  direction,  and 
uttering  his  sharp  squeak.  Wilson  was  of  the  opinion  that  this  habit  of 
the  Night-Hawk  was  confined  to  the  period  of  incubation ;  the  male  acting 
in  this  manner,  as  he  thought,  to  intimidate  any  person  from  approaching 
the  nest.  I  have  had  abundant  opportunities  for  observing  the  bird  in  all 
times  of  the  summer,  and  during  its  stay  with  us ;  and  I  should  unhesi- 
tatingly affirm  that  from  the  time  of  early  courtship  until  the  young 
are  hatched,  if  not  after,  the  male  acts  in  this  manner."  —  Samuels,  E.  A. : 
Our  Northern  and  Eastern  Birds,  p.  123. 

"  The  male  Night  '  Hawk '  produces  an  equally  extraordinary  sound, 
which  is  heard  chiefly  during  the  season  of  courtship.  Mounting  to  some 
height,  he  falls,  head  foremost,  until  near  the  ground,  when  he  checks  his 
downward  course ;  and  then  the  '  booming '  is  heard,  a  sound  '  resembling 
that  produced  by  blowing  strongly  into  the  bung-hole  of  an  empty  hogs- 
head.' I  am  uncertain  as  to  what  causes  this  noise,  having  found  it 
impossible  to  make  any  close  observations.  Wilson  thought  it  produced 
by  the  mouth,  Audubon,  by  the  concussion  caused  by  a  change  of  position 
in  the  wings."  —  Minot,  H.  D. :  Land-birds  and  Game-birds  of  N.  E.,  p.  299. 

Whippoorwill.    (See  p.  68.) 

"  The  whippoorwill  interested  me  very  much.  He  sings 
in  thirds,  no  other  intervals, — just  the  same  always.  I  had 


168  WOOD  NOTES   WILD. 

WHIPPOORWILL.  —  Contin. 

good  opportunities   with  him."  —  c.,  S.  P.,  in  a  letter  dated 
September,  1886. 

"Rhythmical  chain."    See  Index,  Rhythm. 

Flagg  says  that  the  similarity  between  the  notes  of  this 
bird  and  those  of  the  quail  is  so  great  that  they  might 
be  taken  as  identical.  As  here  given,  both  the  rhythm 
and  the  intervals  are  very  different.  (In  his  A  Year  with 
the  Birds,  pp.  197-198.) 

Oriole. —  Variations  in  bird-song.     (See  p.  71.) 

One  of  the  foremost  among  our  naturalists,  Mr.  J.  A. 
Allen,  had  the  good  fortune  to  hear  an  unusual  oriole  song. 
Speaking  of  the  variation  in  the  vocal  powers  of  birds  of 
the  same  species,  he  says :  — 

"  But  the  strangest  example  of  this  sort  I  have  noticed,  I  think,  was 
the  case  of  an  Oriole  (Icterus  Baltimore)  that  I  heard  at  Ipswich  last 
season.  So  different  were  its  notes  from  the  common  notes  of  the  Balti- 
more that  I  failed  entirely  to  refer  them  to  that  bird  till  I  saw  the  author. 
So  much,  however,  did  it  resemble  a  part  of  the  song  of  the  Western 
Meadow  Lark  (Sturnella  magna;  S.  neglecta,  Aud.)  that  it  at  once  not  only 
recalled  that  bird,  but  the  wild,  grassy,  gently  undulating  primitive  prairie 
landscape  where  I  had  heard  it,  and  with  which  the  loud,  clear,  rich,  mellow 
tones  of  this  beautiful  songster  so  admirably  harmonize.  This  bird  I  re- 
peatedly recognized  from  the  peculiarity  of  its  notes  during  my  several  days' 
stay  at  this  locality.  Aside  from  such  unusual  variations  as  this,  which  we 
may  consider  as  accidental,  birds  of  unquestionably  the  same  species,  as  the 
Crow,  the  Blue  Jay,  the  Towhee,  and  others,  at  remote  localities,  as  New 
England,  Florida,  Iowa,  etc.,  often  possess  either  general  differences  in 
their  notes  and  song,  easily  recognizable,  or  certain  notes  at  one  of  these 
localities  never  heard  at  the  others,  or  an  absence  of  some  that  are  else- 
where familiar.  This  is  perhaps  not  a  strange  fact,  since  it  is  now  so  well 
known  that  birds  of  the  same  species  present  certain  well  marked  varia- 
tions in  size  according  to  the  latitude  and  elevation  above  the  sea  of  the 
locality  at  which  they  were  born,  and  that  they  vary  considerably,  though 
doubtless  within  a  certain  range,  in  many  structural  points  at  one  and  the 


APPENDIX.  169 


ORIOLE.  —  Contin. 


same  locality.  In  other  words,  since  it  is  known  that  all  the  different  in- 
dividuals of  a  species  are  not  exactly  alike,  as  though  all  were  cast  in  the 
same  die,  as  some  naturalists  appear  to  have  believed."  —  Allen,  J.  A.: 
Notes  on  some  of  the  Rarer  Birds  of  Mass.  (Amer.  Naturalist,  vol.  v.,  December, 
1869,  pp.  509-510.) 

"Robins,  song-sparrows,  and  perhaps  all  other  birds  sing  differently 
from  each  other,  so  far  as  I  have  observed ;  but  none  differ  so  greatly,  in 
my  opinion,  as  orioles.  The  four  that  I  have  been  able  to  study  care- 
fully enough  to  reduce  their  song  to  the  musical  scale,  though  all  hav- 
ing the  same  compass,  arranged  the  notes  differently  in  every  case."  — 
Miller,  O.  T. :  Bird-ways,  pp.  119-120. 

"  I  bethink  me  now  of  two  of  these  orioles,  with  whom  I  have  been 
acquainted  for  several  summers.  I  do  not  know  them  by  their  shares 
and  plumes;  I  recognize  them  by  their  songs.  During  their  sojourn 
here,  which  extends  from  May  to  October,  they  take  up  their  residences 
within  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  of  one  another,  —  the  one  in  a  public 
park,  the  other  in  an  orchard.  And  often  have  I  heard  the  chief  musi- 
cian of  the  orchard,  on  the  top-most  bough  of  an  ancient  apple-tree,  sing : 


f=  '    r    '  i  r    '    r  gEEfl 

e/ 

to  which  the  chorister  of  the  park,  from  the  summit  of  a  maple,  would 
respond,  in  the  same  key  :  — " 

Hr-T-=T  .  I*   r    .    ==H 

•   IP  ^  i    p     i  11 


\<\>    r 


Manger,  C.  A.:   Pour  American  Birds.    (Putnam's  Mag.,  N.  s.  vol.  iii.,  June, 
1869,  p.  726.) 

SONG  OF  FEMALE  OKIOLE. 

Mr.  Ingersoll  remarks  in  "Friends  Worth  Knowing," 
that  the  female  oriole  has  a  "  pretty  song,  which  mingles 
with  the  brilliant  tenor  of  the  male  during  all  the  season 
of  love-making."  When  the  little  ladies  in  feathers  get 
their  due  it  will  probably  be  admitted  that  the  lord  and 
masters  of  no  family  have  all  the  song. 


170  WOOD  NOTES    WILD. 

ORIOLE.  —  Contin. 

NOTE. — As  runs  one  of  the  beautiful  legends  grown  about  the 
life  of  Saint  Francis  d' Assisi,  the  birds  —  to  whom  he  preached 
the  famous  sermon  and  gave  his  blessing  —  did  not  forget  him 
in  the  final  hour.  While  he  lay  dying,  the  larks,  his  favorites, 
gathered  in  great  numbers  over  his  house  and  sang.  "  When 
his  time  was  come,  about  evening,  though  these  birds  are 
early  goers  to  sleep,  yet  they  came,  and  with  an  unwonted 
cheerfulness,  did  express  great  joy."  Our  author,  with  a  like 
love  for  the  birds,  associated  them  with  important  events  in 
his  life.  On  the  night  of  his  first  marriage,  when  the  guests 
had  gone,  and  bride  and  bridegroom  were  left  alone,  a  bird 
came  to  the  window.  It  would  not  be  driven  away,  and  finally 
he  put  out  his  hand  and  took  it  in.  But  at  no  period  of  his 
life  did  the  birds  seem  to  attend  him  so  closely  as  when  he 
came  to  lie  in  the  sleep  too  deep  to  be  reached  by  their  minis- 
tration. Albert  Baker  Cheney,  his  younger  son,  wrote  from 
the  old  home  in  Dorset  certain  details  which  may  be  pardon- 
ably inserted  in  this  connection :  — 

"As  we  were  at  breakfast,  early  the  morning  of  starting 
from  Franklin  with  the  body,  an  oriole,  the  first  of  the  season 
—  perhaps  the  very  same  father  listened  to  last  year  and  took 
his  notes  —  came  and  sang  a  long  happy  song  in  a  tree  close 
by  the  house.  We  spoke  of  it  often  on  the  sad  journey. 
With  it  still  in  our  ears,  imagine  our  feelings  when,  riding 
into  the  grove  in  Dorset,  late  in  the  afternoon,  we  were 
greeted  by  similar  strains.  Though  other  birds  were  singing, 
we  heard  the  orioles  above  all  the  rest.  But  the  strangest 
part  is  yet  to  be  told.  The  following  morning,  just  as  the 
body  was  being  lowered  into  the  ground,  an  oriole  dashed 
into  the  top  of  a  small  tree,  right  in  the  midst  of  the  people, 
and  sang  throughout  this  most  silent  of  all  times  the  brightest 
and  cheeriest  strains  imaginable.  It  struck  us  all  as  very 
nearly  realizing  the  voices  of  which  father  spoke  so  often, 
the  music  of  the  world  beyond." 


APPENDIX.  171 

SIGNS  FROM  BIRDS. 

Dr.  Jenner  (Roy.  Soc.  of  London.  Phil.  Trans.,  vol.  cxiv. 
parti,  pp.  11-14)  notes  the  "beautiful  propriety  in  the  order 
in  which  singing-birds  fill  up  the  day  with  their  pleasing  har- 
mony. The  accordance  between  their  songs,  and  the  aspect 
of  Nature  at  the  successive  periods  of  the  day  at  which  they 
sing,  is  so  remarkable  that  we  cannot  but  suppose  it  to  be 
the  result  of  benevolent  design." 

This  idea,  beautiful  as  that  of  Marvell  in  his  dial  of  flowers, 
takes  us  as  far,  perhaps,  as  we  are  warranted  in  going ;  never- 
theless, men  have  found  from  time  immemorial  an  accordance 
reaching  much  wider,  —  have  found  a  design,  benevolent  or 
maleficent,  working  through  the  song  and  flight  and  presence 
of  birds  at  important,  decisive  periods  of  life. 

See  article  "Augurs"  in  Ency.  Brit.,  vol.  iii.  p.  64  (Am.  ed.).— 
Brand,  J. :  Popular  Antiquities  (rev.  ed.,  1877),  pp.  686-702.  —  "Bird- 
Lore."  (All  the  Year  Round,  N.  8.  vol.  xx.,  May  11,  1878,  pp.  365-370.)  — 
Forbes,  Maj.  J. :  Gaulama  or  Demon-bird.  (In  his  Eleven  Years  in  Cey- 
lon, vol.  i.,  London,  1840,  pp.  353-354.) 

LAST  DAYS  OF  THE  AUTHOR. 

Though  biographical  matter  is  not  a  part  of  this  volume, 
it  seems  proper,  for  the  sake  of  the  author's  many  friends  in 
New  England,  to  add  in  this  connection  a  word  concerning 
his  last  days ;  especially  since  the  word  comes  from  his  widow, 
Mrs.  Julia  C.  Cheney,  who,  by  reason  of  her  intelligence  and 
affection,  rendered  him  great  service  during  his  life  and  work 
in  Massachusetts :  — 

"On  Thursday,  May  1,  my  dear  husband  was  summoned 
to  Boston  to  reduce  to  manuscript  from  the  phonograph  some 
Indian  songs  collected  by  the  Boston  Society  of  Natural  His- 
tory. Previous  visits  for  the  same  purpose  had  greatly  inter- 
ested him  in  the  work,  and  he  left  home  anticipating  a  day 
of  pleasing  labor.  On  Friday,  the  2d,  he  returned,  ill  from 


172  WOOD  NOTES   WILD. 

LAST  DAYS  OF  THE  AUTHOR.  —  Contin. 

a  severe  cold  contracted  in  Boston.  Pneumonia  was  subse- 
quently developed,  and  after  a  few  days  of  suffering  he  passed 
peacefully  away.  During  his  half-conscious  hours  of  illness 
snatches  of  bird-song  were  often  upon  his  lips.  You  will 
find,  doubtless,  a  sad  pleasure  in  completing  for  his  sake  the 
unfinished  little  book  which  so  much  interested  him  in  his 
last  days.  I  have  been  assured  that  when  the  work  on  the 
phonograph  is  published  Mr.  Cheney's  services  will  receive 
ample  acknowledgment.  His  often  expressed  wish,  that  the  close 
of  life  here  might  find  him  at  work  with  unimpaired  mental 
vigor,  has  been  fulfilled.  An  adorer  of  Nature,  his  last  labor 
was  devoted  to  interpreting  the  songs  of  her  children." 

Notations  from  the  Phonograph. 

The  following  letter  from  Dr.  Fewkes,  of  the  Boston  Society 
of  Natural  History,  gives  a  full  statement  of  Mr.  Cheney's  last 
service  in  the  interpretation  of  Nature-music :  — 

"When  I  returned  from  Calais  with  phonographic  cylinders 
on  which  were  recorded  the  music  of  the  Passamaquoddies, 
your  father,  who  had  never  heard  these  Indians  sing,  wrote 
out  from  the  cylinders  the  music,  and  thus  made  it  possible 
for  me  to  demonstrate  that  the  phonograph  can  be  profitably 
employed  in  the  study  of  Indian  melodies.  In  publishing  the 
results  of  my  experiments  I  have  already  referred  to  his  help, 
and  as  you  have  shown  an  interest  in  the  matter  I  am  glad  to 
be  able  to  add  a  word  or  two  to  what  I  have  already  written. 

"  Some  of  the  music  of  the  Passamaquoddies  which  I  obtained 
is  undoubtedly  aboriginal,  and  as  such  is  very  difficult  to  repre- 
sent by  our  methods  of  musical  notation.  Not  being  a  musical 
person  myself,  I  left  the  writing  out  of  the  music  to  him.  How 
well  he  did  it  others  must  judge ;  but  I  have  every  reason  to 
believe  that,  as  the  idea  of  collecting  Indian  music  by  means 
of  the  phonograph  was  original  with  me,  he  was  the  first  one, 


APPENDIX.  173 

NOTATIONS  FROM  THE  PHONOGRAPH.  —  Contin. 

under  my  direction,  to  write  it  out,  and  in  this  way  to  demon- 
strate that  it  could  be  done. 

"  Since  these  preliminary  experiments,  I  have  collected  a 
large  quantity  of  aboriginal  music  in  the  same  way,  and  other 
musical  specialists  have  set  it  to  our  scales,  but  I  shall  always 
recall  with  gratitude  the  help  which  he  afforded  me  in  my 
first  experimentation.  He  wrote  out  for  me  three  songs  which 
were  published  in  my  *  Contribution  to  Passamaquoddy  Folk 
Lore.'  Although  I  am  now  of  the  opinion  that  the  minute 
variations  in  the  aboriginal  intervals  and  those  of  Aryan 
music  cannot  be  more  than  approximately  represented  in  our 
method  of  writing  music,  I  think  that  the  work  which  he  did 
for  me  was  of-  very  great  importance."  —  Fewkes,  Dr.  J.  W.,  in 
a  letter  to  the  editor  dated  March  21, 1891. 

Variations  in  Bird-Song. 

"  The  song,  for  example,  of  a  thrush  near  London,  or  in  any  of  the 
home  counties,  has  little  resemblance  except  in  specific  character  to  that 
of  the  same  bird  in  Devonshire  or  near  Exeter.  The  same  notes,  I  sup- 
pose, will  all  of  them  be  detected ;  but  they  are  arranged  for  the  most  part 
into  a  different  tune,  and  are  not  sung  in  the  same  way.  They  are  given 
with  different  values,  and  the  singing  is  pitched  in  a  different  key.  One 
great  distinction  between  the  two  cases  is  the  number  of  guttural  notes 
of  which  the  song  of  a  Devonshire  thrush  is  often  made  up,  but  which 
near  London  are  heard  only  at  the  end  of  a  bar,  or  even  much  less 
frequently ;  while  those  chief  notes,  which  mainly  constitute  the  song  of 
the  other  bird,  and  make  it  so  impressive,  are  rarely  pronounced  by  the 
Devonshire  thrush."  —  Jesse,  E. :  Scenes  and  Occupations  of  Country  Life 
(London,  1853),  p.  112. 

See  Index,  Variations,  etc. 

Imitation. 

Mr.  Allen's  statement  (see  Index,  Allen,  J.  A.),  that  the 
oriole  song  brought  vividly  to  mind  that  of  the  Western 
meadow  lark  suggests  the  old  subject  of  the  influence  of 


174  WOOD  NOTES   WILD. 

IMITATION.  —  Contin. 

imitation  as  a  factor  in  the  variation  of  bird-song.  The 
following  is  a  record  from  the  author's  diary :  — 

"I  have  heard  wonderful  singing  from  a  caged  robin 
that  sang  no  strain  in  common  with  his  species.  His 
voice  was  stronger  than  the  wild  robin's,  and  his  music  did 
not  lack  variety.  No  one  would  surmise  that  it  was  a 
robin  singing.  He  was  picked  up  half-grown.  I  have 
also  heard  a  robin  sing  in  fine  style  a  well  constructed, 
pleasing  melody  that  had  been  taught  him  from  a  musical 
instrument.  This  bird  sang  none  of  the  music  of  his  wild 
ancestry.  His  voice  was  superior.  I  believe  the  bird 
singing  to  be  very  much  a  matter  of  education  or 
imitation ;  and  it  is  by  no  means  certain  that  it  has 
reached  perfection." 

The  thought  last  expressed  is  one  the  author  delighted 
to  dwell  upon.  But  a  few  hours  before  he  sank  into  the 
final  stupor  he  sang  with  great  spirit  the  new  cuckoo  song 
(page  88) ;  and  among  his  last  words  were,  "  The  birds 
improve." 

See  Index,  Improvement,  etc. 

There  is  a  valuable  record  on  this  point,  now  a  century 
old:  — 

"  I  educated  a  young  robin  under  a  very  fine  nightingale,  which,  how- 
ever, began  already  to  be  out  of  song,  and  was  perfectly  mute  in  less  than 
a  fortnight.  This  robin  afterwards  sang  three  parts  in  four  nightingale; 
and  the  rest  of  his  song  was  what  the  bird-catchers  call  rubbish,  or  no 
particular  note  whatsoever.  I  hung  this  robin  nearer  to  the  nightingale 
than  to  any  other  bird ;  from  which  first  experiment  I  conceived  that  the 
scholar  would  imitate  the  master  which  was  at  the  least  distance  from  him. 
From  several  experiments,  however,  which  I  have  since  tried,  I  find  it  to 
be  very  uncertain  what  notes  the  nestling  will  most  attend  to,  and  often 


APPENDIX. 


IMITATION.  —  Contin. 


their  song  is  a  mixture ;  as  in  the  instance  which  I  have  before  stated  of 
the  sparrow.  I  must  own,  also,  that  I  conceived  from  the  experiment  of 
educating  the  robin  under  a  nightingale,  that  the  scholar  would  fix  upon 
the  note  which  it  first  heard  when  taken  from  the  nest ;  I  imagined,  like- 
wise, that  if  the  nightingale  had  been  fully  in  song,  the  instruction  for  a 
fortnight  would  have  been  sufficient.  I  have,  however,  since  tried  the 
following  experiment,  which  convinces  me  so  much  depends  upon  cir- 
cumstances and  perhaps  caprice  in  the  scholar,  that  no  general  inference 
or  rule  can  be  laid  down  with  regard  to  either  of  these  suppositions.  I 
educated  a  nestling  robin  under  a  woodlark-linnet,  which  was  full  in 
song  and  hung  very  near  to  him  for  a  month  together ;  after  which  the 
robin  was  removed  to  another  house,  where  he  could  only  hear  a  sky- 
lark-linnet. The  consequence  was  that  the  nestling  did  not  sing  a  note 
of  woodlark  (though  I  afterwards  hung  him  again  just  above  the  wood- 
lark-linnet),  but  adhered  entirely  to  the  song  of  the  skylark-linnet."  — 
Harrington,  D. :  Roy.  Soc.  of  London.  Philos.  Trans.  ,1773,  vol.  Ixiii.  pp.  249-291. 

For  contrary  opinion,  namely  that  the  song  of  birds  is  innate,  see 
Blackwall,  J.,  in  Philos.  Mag.  and  Journal  (London),vol.  Ixvi.,  July,  1825. 
An  extract  from  this  paper  is  to  be  found  in  Amer.  Jour,  of  Science  and 
Arts,  vol.  x.,  Feb.,  1826,  pp.  390-391.  — See  also  Flagg,  W. :  A  Year  with 
the  Birds,  p.  28.  —  Nicols,  A.:  Snakes,  Marsupials,  and  Birds  (London, 
n.  d.),  pp.  202-205. 

For  power  of  imitation  in  the  bobolink,  see  littelFs  Living  Age, 
vol.  xxix.,  1851,  p.  312. 

For  power  of  imitation  in  the  crow,  see  Cabot,  J.  E. :  Our  Birds,  and 
their  Ways.  (Atlantic  Mo.,  vol.  i.,  December,  1857,  p.  211.) 

The  power  of  imitation  is  certainly  very  commonly 
developed  among  the  song-birds.  An  old  bird-fancier  (A 
Natural  History  of  English  Song-birds,  London,  1779), 
shows  that  a  round  dozen  of  choice  English  songsters  were 
known  a  hundred  years  ago  as  accomplished  borrowers  of 
other  birds  and  of  man. 

"  When  I  say  that  no  living  cantatrice  can  interpret  this  beautiful  old- 
fashioned  song  [The  Last  Rose  of  Summer]  with  such  sweetness  and  genu- 
ineness of  expression  as  can  the  bullfinch,  I  am  sure  of  stating  a  truth  that 
will  not  be  disputed  by  anybody  who  has  chanced  to  hear  them  both." — 
Austin,  G.  L. :  Friendship  of  Birds.  (Appleton's  Journal,  ir.  8.  vol.  iii.,  p.  161.) 


176  WOOD  NOTES  WILD. 

IMITATION.  —  Contin. 

"  [The  sedge  warbler]  is  a  most  remarkable  species,  and  like  the 
American  mocking-bird,  famous  for  his  powers  of  imitation.  It  mimics 
the  song  or  cry  of  the  swallow,  sparrow,  thrush,  lark,  etc.,  so  perfectly 
that  you  can  hardly  tell  the  difference."  —  Taylor,  J.  E. :  Half-hours  in  the 
Green  Lanes  (London,  1890),  p.  140. 

"  There  is  a  marked  distinction  between  the  call-notes  of  birds,  which 
are  hereditary  and  invariable,  and  the  song,  which  is  an  accomplishment, 
the  result  of  effort  and  practice,  even  in  those  kinds  which  sing  when  free 
and  wild.  Most  people  who  have  reared  a  young  thrush  or  blackbird 
will  have  noticed  that  as  soon  as  the  wild  birds  begin  to  sing  in  early 
spring  the  tame  bird  imitates  and  reproduces  by  degrees  the  same  notes. 
The  song  of  our  canaries,  which  in  their  own  country  is  so  poor  that  they 
have  been  said  not  to  sing  at  all,  has  been  learned  entirely  from  the  gold- 
finches and  linnets  which  have  shared  their  cages,  though  the  vocal  organs 
which  the  canary  had  but  did  not  use  are  so  superior  to  those  of  its  teach- 
ers that  it  has  now  learned  to  outsing  them  both.  Among  birds,  as  well 
as  men,  there  are  non-progressive  races  which  are  indifferent  to  '  self- 
improvement  '  and  never  try  to  learn  a  song  of  their  own,  much  less  imi- 
tate the  voices  of  other  birds  or  of  men.  But  the  desire  to  gain  new  notes 
is  very  much  more  common  than  most  people  imagine,  and  we  believe 
there  are  at  least  twenty  kinds  which  are  able  to  reproduce  even  the  com- 
plex forms  of  articulate  human  speech.'  —  The  Spectator. 

In  passing,  this  writer,  like  our  author,  takes  a  more 
hopeful  view  of  the  art-progress  of  the  birds  than  the 
author  of  the  "  Journal  of  a  Naturalist  " :  — 

"  From  various  little  scraps  of  intelligence  scattered  through  the  sacred 
and  ancient  writings,  it  appears  certain,  as  it  was  reasonable  to  conclude, 
that  the  notes  now  used  by  birds,  and  the  voices  of  animals,  are  the  same 
as  uttered  by  their  earliest  progenitors."  —  Knapp,  J.  L.:  Journal  of  a 
Naturalist,  p.  267. 

For  further  particulars  on  the  point  of  imitation,  see  Dom.  Habits  of 
Birds.  (Lib.  Ent.  Knowl.  London,  1833, pp.  316-339.)  — Nature,  vol.  xvii., 
1877-78,  pp.  361, 380, 438.  —  Nor.  Brit.  Rev.  vol.  xxx.,  1859,  pp.  325-327. 
—  Yarrell,  W. :  Hist,  of  British  Birds,  4th  ed.,  vol.  ii.  p.  229. 

Mr.  W.  H.  Hudson  gives  the  following  description  of 
the  imitative  power  of  a  Patagonian  artist,  the  white- 
banded  mocking-bird  (Mimus  triurus) :  — 


APPENDIX.  177 

IMITATION.  —  Contin. 

"  While  walking  through  a  chanar-wood  one  bright  morning, 
my  attention  was  suddenly  arrested  by  notes  issuing  from  a 
thicket  close  by,  and  to  which  I  listened  in  delighted  astonish- 
ment, so  vastly  superior  in  melody,  strength,  and  variety  did 
they  seem  to  all  other  bird  music. 

"  That  it  was  the  song  of  a  Mimus  did  not  occur  to  me,  for 
while  the  music  came  in  a  continuous  stream, — until  I  mar- 
velled that  the  throat  of  any  bird  could  sustain  so  powerful  and 
varied  a  song  for  so  long  a  time,  —  it  was  never  once  degraded 
by  the  harsh  cries,  fantastical  flights,  and  squealing  buffooneries 
so  frequently  introduced  by  the  'Calandria,'  but  every  note 
was  in  harmony  and  uttered  with  a  rapidity  and  joyous  aban- 
don no  other  bird  is  capable  of,  except  perhaps  the  skylark, 
while  the  purity  of  the  sounds  gave  to  the  whole  performance 
something  of  the  ethereal  rapturous  character  of  the  Lark's  song 
when  it  comes  to  the  listener  from  a  great  height  in  the  air. 

"  Presently  this  flow  of  exquisite  unfamiliar  music  ceased, 
while  I  still  remained  standing  amongst  the  trees,  not  daring 
to  move  for  fear  of  scaring  away  the  strange  vocalist. 

"After  a  short  interval  of  silence  I  had  a  fresh  surprise. 
From  the  very  spot  whence  the  torrent  of  melody  had  issued 
burst  out  the  shrill,  confused,  impetuous  song  of  the  small  yel- 
low and  gray  Patagonian  Flycatcher  (Stiff matura  albocinerea). 
It  irritated  me  to  hear  this  familiar  and  trivial  song  after  the 
other,  and  I  began  to  fear  that  my  entertainer  had  flown  away 
unobserved ;  but  in  another  moment,  from  the  same  spot,  came 
the  mellow  matin-song  of  the  Dinca  Finch,  and  this  quickly 
succeeded  by  the  silvery,  bell-like,  thrilling  song  of  the  '  Chur- 
rinche,'  or  little  scarlet  Tyrant-bird.  Then  followed  many 
other  familiar  notes  and  songs,  —  the  flute-like  evening  call  of 
the  Crested  Tinamou,  the  gay  hurried  twittering  of  the  Black- 
headed  Goldfinch,  and  the  leisurely-uttered  delicious  strains  of 
the  Yellow  Cardinal,  —  all  repeated  with  miraculous  fidelity. 

12 


178  WOOD  NOTES   WILD. 

IMITATION.  —  Contin. 

"How  much  was  my  wonder  and  admiration  increased  by 
the  discovery  that  only  one  sweet  singer  had  produced  all  these 
diverse  strains !  The  discovery  was  only  made  when  he  began 
to  repeat  songs  of  species  that  never  visit  Patagonia.  I  knew 
then  that  I  was  at  last  listening  to  the  famed  White  Mocking- 
bird, just  returned  from  his  winter  travels,  and  repeating  in 
this  southern  region  the  notes  he  had  acquired  in  sub-tropical 
forests  a  thousand  miles  away.  These  imitations  at  length 
ceased,  after  which  the  sweet  vocalist  resumed  his  own  match- 
less song  once  more.  I  ventured  then  to  creep  a  little  nearer, 
and  at  length  caught  sight  of  him  not  fifteen  yards  away.  I 
then  found  that  the  pleasure  of  listening  to  its  melody  was 
greatly  enhanced  when  I  could  at  the  same  time  see  the 
bird,  so  carried  away  with  rapture  does  he  seem  while  singing, 
so  many  and  so  beautiful  are  the  gestures  and  motions  with 
which  his  notes  are  accompanied.  When  I  first  heard  this 
bird  sing  I  felt  convinced  that  no  other  feathered  songster  on 
the  globe  could  compare  with  it,  for  besides  the  faculty  of 
reproducing  the  songs  of  other  species,  which  it  possesses  in 
common  with  the  Virginian  Mocking-bird,  it  has  a  song  of  its 
own,  which  I  believe  matchless:  in  this  belief  I  was  con- 
firmed when,  shortly  after  hearing  it,  I  visited  England,  and 
found  of  how  much  less  account  than  this  Patagonian  bird, 
which  no  poet  has  ever  praised,  were  the  sweetest  of  the  famed 
melodists  of  the  old  world." 

Eoom  must  be  made  for  another  of  this  wonderful  fam- 
ily, one  that  on  occasion  disdains  all  mimicry  and  sings 
a  glorious  song  all  his  own  (Mimus  polyglottus,  Boie). 

"It  is  remarkable  that  in  those  serenades  and  midnight  solos  which 
have  obtained  for  the  Mocking-bird  the  name  of  Nightingale,  and  which 
he  commences  with  a  rapid,  stammering  prelude,  as  if  he  had  awaked, 
frightened  ont  of  sleep,  he  never  sings  his  song  of  mimicry ;  his  music  at 
this  time  is  his  own.  It  is  full  of  variety,  with  a  fine  compass,  but  less 


APPENDIX.  179 


IMITATION.  —  Contin. 


mingled  and  more  equable  than  by  day,  as  if  the  minstrel  felt  that  the 
sober-seeming  of  the  night  required  a  solemnity  of  music  peculiarly  its 
own.  The  night-song  of  the  Mocking-bird,  though  in  many  of  its  modula- 
tions it  reminds  us  of  that  of  the  Nightingale  of  Europe,  has  less  of 
volume  in  it.  There  is  not  more  variety,  but  a  less  frequent  repetition  of 
those  certain  notes  of  ecstasy,  which  give  such  a  peculiar  character,  and 
such  wild,  intense,  and  all-absorbing  feeling  to  the  midnight  song  of  the 
European  bird.  Though  the  more  regulated  quality  of  the  song  of  our 
nightingale  is  less  calculated  to  create  surprise,  it  is  more  fitted  to  soothe 
and  console ;  and  that  sensation  of  melancholy  which  is  said  to  pervade 
the  melody  of  the  European  minstrel  is  substituted  in  the  midnight  sing- 
ing of  our  bird  by  one  of  thoughtful  and  tranquil  delight."  —  Hill,  R. :  in 
Gosse,  P.  H.,  Birds  of  Jamaica,  p.  146. 

Note.  —  Though  this  bird  is  given  as  Minus  polyglottuSy  it  is  probably 
Mimus  Orpheus. 

The  Nightingale  and  his  Rivals. 

In  the  famous  old  table  quoted  on  next  page,  the  nightin- 
gale, as  usual,  stands  first ;  but  as  time  goes  on  the  prestige 
of  the  Sappho- Jonson  "dear  glad  angel  of  the  spring" 
seems  to  lessen.  The  claims  of  several  rivals  are  pre- 
sented ;  and  though  in  deference  to  the  poets  and  to  long- 
established  opinion,  the  manner  of  presentation  is  as  yet 
noticeably  deferential,  it  is  plain  and  sincere.  The  natu- 
ral, tender-hearted  bird-fancier  before  quoted  (See  Index, 
Nat.  Hist,  of  Eng.  Song-birds)  speaking  of  the  woodlark 
says :  "  He  is  not  only,  as  some  have  said,  comparable  to 
the  nightingale  for  singing,  but  in  my  judgment,  deserving 
to  be  preferred  before  that  excellent  bird."  Elsewhere  he 
draws  a  more  detailed  comparison  between  these  songsters : 

"Notwithstanding  the  particular  fancy  of  divers  persons  for  this  or 
that  bird,  which  they  esteem  and  prefer  to  all  others,  the  nightingale,  by 
the  generality  of  mankind,  is  still  accounted  the  chief  of  all  singing-birds ; 
he  sends  forth  his  pleasant  notes  with  so  lavish  a  freedom,  that  he  makes 


180  WOOD  NOTES   WILD. 

NIGHTINGALE  AND  HIS  RIVALS. —  Contin. 

BARRINGTON'S  TABLE  OF  COMPARATIVE  MERIT  OF  BRITISH 

SlNGING-BlRDS. 

(The  point  of  perfection  is  20.) 


Mellow- 
ness of 
Tone. 

W 

Plaintive 
Notes. 

Compass. 

Execu- 
tion. 

Nightingale  
Skylark    

19 
4 

14 
19 

19 
4 

19 
18 

19 

18 

Woodlark     

18 

4 

17 

12 

g 

Titlark     

12 

12 

12 

12 

12 

12 

16 

12 

16 

18 

Goldfinch     

4 

19 

4 

12 

12 

Chaffinch  

4 

12 

4 

8 

8 

4 

4 

4 

4 

6 

Hedge-sparrow.    .    .    . 
Aberdevine  or  Siskin     . 
Redpole    

6 
2 
0 

0 
4 
4 

6 
0 
0 

4 
4 
4 

4 
4 
4 

Thrush     

4 

4 

4 

4 

4 

Blackbird     

4 

4 

0 

2 

2 

6 

16 

12 

12 

12 

Wren  

0 

12 

0 

4 

4 

Reed-sparrow    .    .    .    . 

Blackcap,  or  the  Norfolk  ) 
Mock  Nightingale  .     J 

0 
14 

4 
12 

0 
12 

2 
14 

2 
14 

APPENDIX.  181 

NIGHTINGALE  AND  HIS  RIVALS.  —  Contin. 

oven  the  woods  to  echo  with  his  melodious  voice ;  and  this  delightful  bird, 
scorning  to  be  out-done,  will  not  yield  to  any  competitor,  either  of  birds  or 
men.  The  Woodlark  is  his  greatest  antagonist,  between  whom  there 
sometimes  happens  such  a  contention  for  mastery,  each  striving  to  outvie 
the  other,  that,  like  true-bred  cocks,  they  seem  resolved  to  die  rather  than 
lose  the  victory.  If  the  former  carries  it  in  stoutness  and  freeness  of 
song,  so  does  the  latter  in  his  pleasing  variety  of  soft,  warbling,  har- 
monious notes,  in  which,  to  my  fancy,  none  excels  or  is  equal  to  him."  — 
Nat.  Hist.  Eng.  Song-birds.  London,  1779. 

For  an  account  of  the  singing  of  a  mocking-bird  rival  kept  by  Dr. 
Golz  of  Berlin,  see  Nehrling,  H. :  North  Amer.  Birds,  part  L,  p.  45. 

NOTE.  —  Darwin  himself  must  acknowledge  the  faculty  of  song  in  this 
talented  family :  — 

"A  mocking-bird  (Mimus  Orpheus),  called  by  the  inhabitants Calandria, 
is  remarkable  from  possessing  a  song  far  superior  to  that  of  any  other 
bird  in  the  country ;  indeed,  it  is  nearly  the  only  bird  in  South  America 
which  I  have  observed  to  take  its  stand  for  the  purpose  of  singing.  The 
song  may  be  compared  to  that  of  the  sedge  warbler,  but  is  more  powerful, 
some  harsh  notes  and  some  very  high  ones  being  mingled  with  a  pleasant 
warbling.  It  is  heard  only  during  the  spring.  At  other  times  its  cry  is 
harsh  and  far  from  harmonious/'  —  Darwin,  G. :  Journal  of  Researches, 
etc.,  p.  54. 

Mr.  Minot  says  :  — 

"  I  estimated  that  the  nightingale  had  a  most  wonderful  compass,1  and 
was  the  greatest  of  all  bird  vocalists,  but  with  a  less  individual  and 
exquisite  genius  than  our  wood  thrush."  —  Minot,  H.  D. :  Eng.  birds  com- 
pared with  American.  (Am.  Nat.,  vol.  xiv.,  1880,  p.  563.) 

On  the  slopes  of  Olympus  the  song  of  the  blue  thrush 
is  often  mistaken  for  that  of  the  nightingale.  —  Birds  of 

the  Levant.    (Eclectic  Mag.,  y.  s.  vol.  vii.,  1868,  pp.  114-119.) 

And  was  not  the  song  thrush  the  rightful  recipient  of 
Cowper's  homage  in  his  ode  to  the  nightingale  ? 
See  Index,  Organist. 

1  A  French  observer,  whose  name  cannot  now  be  recalled,  finds  that 
the  nightingale's  compass  is  rarely  more  than  an  octave. 


182  WOOD  NOTES   WILD. 

NIGHTINGALE  AND  HIS  RIVALS.  —  Contin. 

For  choice  passages  on  the  song  of  the  nightingale  see  F.  A.  Knight's 
delightful  little  volume,  "  Idylls  of  the  Field,"  pp.  93-94. 

See  also  Hamerton,  P.  G. :  Chapters  on  Animals,  chap.  13.  —  Dom. 
Habits  of  Birds.  (Lib.  Enter.  Knowl,  pp.  284-289.)  —  Lescuyer,  F.  : 
Langage  et  Chant  des  Oiseaux  (Paris,  1878),  pp.  67-71.  —  Litt.  Liv.  Age, 
vol.  xxv.,  1850,  pp.  273-278;  vol.  xlii.,  1854,  pp.  612-614.  — Plinius  Se- 
cundus,  C. :  Natural  History,  bk.  x.  chap,  xliii. — Die  Vogelsprache. 
(Gartenlaube,  1866,  pp.  705-707.) 

"  But  the  nightingale,  another  of  my  airy  creatures,  breathes  such 
sweet,  loud  music  out  of  her  little  instrumental  throat  that  it  might  make 
mankind  to  think  that  miracles  are  not  ceased.  He  that  at  midnight, 
when  the  very  laborer  sleeps  securely,  should  hear,  as  I  have  often,  the 
clear  airs,  the  sweet  descants,  the  natural  rising  and  falling,  the  doubling 
and  redoubling  of  her  voice,  might  well  be  lifted  above  earth,  and  say, 
Lord,  what  music  hast  thou  provided  for  the  saints  in  Heaven,  when  thou 
aff ordest  bad  men  such  music  on  earth !  "  —  Walton,  I. :  The  Complete 
Angler  (London,  1875),  p.  cxiv. 

See  also  Aristophanes :  The  Birds.  (In  his  Comedies,  vol.  i.  pp. 
301-386.) 

Imported  Songsters. 

Thanks  to  the  enterprise  of  the  West,  we  need  no  longer 
go  to  the  books  sent  us  from  beyond  the  sea  to  hear  the 
old-world  songsters,  the  birds  immortalized  by  Keats  and 
Shelley,  the  birds  sung  and  descanted  upon  by  hundreds 
of  others  less  famous.  Mr.  C.  F.  Pfluger,  Secretary  of  the 
Society  for  the  Introduction  of  Useful  Singing-birds  into 
Oregon,  writes  under  date  of  Dec.  22,  1890,  as  follows  : 

"In  the  month  of  May,  1889,  the  society  imported  from 
Clausthal,  in  Germany,  under  a  contract  with  a  German  bird- 
dealer,  the  following  birds  in  pairs  of  males  and  females,  viz. : 
Ten  pairs  of  black-headed  nightingales,  eight  pairs  of  gray 
song  thrushes,  fifteen  pairs  of  black  song  thrushes,  twenty-two 
pairs  of  skylarks,  four  pairs  of  singing  quail,  twenty  pairs  of 
black  starlings,  nineteen  bullfinches,  three  of  which  were  females 
and  sixteen  males ;  the  rest  of  the  females  had  died  on  the  way  ; 


APPENDIX.  183 

IMPORTED  SONGSTERS.  —  Contin. 

forty  pairs  of  goldfinches,  forty  pairs  of  chaffinches,  thirty-five 
pairs  of  linnets,  forty  pairs  of  ziskins  (green  finches),  twenty 
pairs  of  cross-beaks,  one  pair  of  real  nightingales  (the  rest  had 
died  on  the  way),  and  several  pairs  of  red-breasted  English 
robins,  the  European  wren  species,  forest  finches,  yellow-ham- 
mers, green  finches. 

"  When  these  birds  arrived  here,  each  species  was  put  into  a 
large  wooden  cage  six  feet  high,  six  feet  long,  and  four  feet  deep, 
with  wire-net  front,  with  plenty  of  water  and  their  favorite  food, 
thus  giving  them  a  good  opportunity  to  rest  and  exercise  their 
wings  before  they  were  turned  loose.  All  these  birds,  with 
their  cages,  were  placed  on  exhibition  for  four  days  to  the  pub- 
lic. Thousands  of  people  went  to  see  them,  and  the  society 
realized  about  five  hundred  dollars  by  this  show,  which  went 
toward  paying  for  the  expense  of  bringing  them  here.  At 
the  close  of  the  exhibition  the  birds  were  turned  loose  under 
direction  of  Frank  Dekum,  president  of  the  society,  in  the 
suburbs  of  Portland  and  in  other  counties  here. 

"The  larks  were  let  loose  outside  of  the  city  near  clover 
meadows. 

"  The  birds  have  done  well  ever  since  they  were  let  loose ; 
we  watched  them  all  through  the  summer  of  1889.  Some 
nested  in  Portland  and  some  in  the  suburbs,  while  others  went 
far  off  into  the  State. 

"  We  have  had  very  flattering  reports  of  these  birds  from  all 
parts  of  the  State. 

"  The  birds  left  here  in  the  fall  of  1889  and  returned  in  the 
spring  of  1890,  except  the  black  thrush  and  the  skylark ;  they 
did  not  migrate. 

"  The  society  has  received  reports  from  numerous  places  in 
this  vicinity  which  show  that  the  birds  brought  here  and  turned 
loose  a  year  ago  last  spring,  have  prospered,  and  that  the  scheme 
has  been  a  grand  success. 


184  WOOD  NOTES   WILD. 

IMPORTED  SONGSTERS.  —  Contin. 

"These  and  other  reports  received  by  me  prove  that  the 
birds  are  doing  well,  and  the  society  is  so  well  pleased  with 
the  success  of  its  scheme  that  another  subscription  was  started 
here  about  six  weeks  ago  for  the  purpose  of  bringing  some 
more  of  the  insectivorous  birds  here.  It  is  also  the  intention 
to  import  a  number  of  mocking-birds  from  the  South.  The 
birds  will  arrive  here  about  the  first  of  March,  1891.  By  the 
introduction  of  such  birds  the  orchards  are  protected  against 
insects  and  caterpillars. 

"The  following  is  the  list  of  useful  European  and  South 
American  singing-birds  which  the  society  has  ordered  by  Mr. 
Stuhr,  the  Portland  bird-dealer,  to  be  delivered  here  in  Port- 
land, Oregon,  in  good  order  and  condition,  not  later  than 
March  1,  1891 :  twenty-four  pairs  of  skylarks  at  $4  per  pair, 
twenty-four  pairs  of  American  mocking-birds  at  $5.50  per  pair, 
twenty-four  pairs  of  bullfinches  at  $4  per  pair,  twelve  pairs  of 
black  song  thrushes  at  $7.50  per  pair,  twelve  pairs  of  gray 
song  thrushes  at  $8.50  per  pair,  eighteen  pairs  of  red-breasted 
English  robins  at  $5.50  per  pair,  twenty-four  pairs  of  black- 
headed  nightingales  at  $5.50  per  pair.  Some  special  orders 
for  different  parties  were  of  goldfinches  at  $2.50  per  pair,  black 
starlings  at  $5.50  per  pair,  chaffinches  at  $2.50  per  pair,  linnets 
at  $3.50  per  pair,  ziskins  (green  finches)  $2.50  per  pair. 

"  The  aforesaid  birds  have  to  be  delivered  here  in  first-class 
order  and  healthy  condition  by  Mr.  Stuhr,  the  bird-dealer,  and 
upon  such  delivery  he  will  be  paid  for  the  same  at  the  afore- 
said prices. 

"  Our  first  importation  of  birds,  in  1889,  has  cost  the  society 
very  nearly  $1,500  for  two  hundred  and  seventy-five  pairs,  but 
our  importation  for  1891  will  be  considerably  cheaper,  owing 
to  the  fact  that  we  have  aroused  the  competition  of  the  dealers." 

An  account  of  the  origin  of  this  most  commendable  movement  is  to  be 
found  in  the  West  Shore  (Portland,  Oregon)  for  March,  1889. 


APPENDIX.  185 


Scarlet  Tanager.    (See  p.  74.) 

"  Their  more  common  notes  are  simple  and  brief,  resembling,  accord- 
ing to  Wilson,  the  sound  chip-charr.  Mr.  Bidgway  represents  them  by 
chip-a-ra'-ree.  This  song  it  repeats  at  brief  intervals  and  in  a  pensive 
tone,  and  with  a  singular  faculty  of  causing  it  to  seem  to  come  from  a 
greater  than  the  real  distance.  Besides  this  it  also  has  a  more  varied  and . 
musical  chant,  resembling  the  mellow  notes  of  the  Baltimore  oriole.  The 
female  also  utters  similar  notes  when  her  nest  is  approached  ;  and  in  their 
mating-season,  as  they  move  together  through  the  branches,  they  both 
utter  a  low  whispering  warble  in  a  tone  of  great  sweetness  and  tender- 
ness. As  a  whole,  this  bird  may  be  regarded  as  a  musical  performer  of 
very  respectable  merits."  —  Baird,  Brewer,  and  Bidgway:  North  American 
Birds.  Land-Birds,  vol.  i.  p.  436. 

Mr.  Nelson  and  Mr.  Samuels  find  not  a  little  of  the 
robin's  song  in  that  of  the  tanager;  while  Mr.  A.  P. 
Coleman,  of  Victoria  University,  Coburg,  Ontario,  reports 
him  as  singing  at  the  Thousand  Islands  early  in  the 
summer  of  1886  as  follows:  — 


I J  r  "  II 


"  During  the  three  weeks  that  we  heard  him,"  says  Mr.  Coleman,  "  he 
made  no  other  variation,  except  that  he  occasionally  repeated  the  last  two 
notes  a  third  time,  thus  filling  out  the  bar.  The  notes  were  taken  down 
by  a  trained  musician,  and  if  whistled  give  the  tanager's  song  exactly."  — 
Coleman,  A.  P. :  Music  in  Nature.  (Nature,  vol.  xxxvi.,  1887,  p.  605.) 

See  also  Lunt,  H. :  Across  Lots,  p.  89. 


Bright  Plumage  vs.  Song. 

It  would  seem  that  bright  plumage  is  not  proof  against 
bright  song.    It  may  be  with  the  birds  as  it  is  with  the 


186  WOOD  NOTES    WILD. 

BRIGHT  PLUMAGE  vs.  SONG.  —  Contin. 

flowers:  while  the  odorous  blossoms  are  the  pale  off- 
spring of  the  North,  the  fragrant  leaves  and  aromatic 
wood  are  found  in  the  tropics.  Henry  Berthoud  tells 
of  a  Bird  of  Paradise  that  he  heard  sing  "  Partant  pour 
la  Syrie." 

For  an  account  of  a  brilliantly  colored  little  bird,  called  in  St.  Domingo 
the  organist  (Pipra  musica,  Gmel.),-" because  it  sounds  all  the  notes  of  the 
octave,  rising  from  the  bass  to  the  treble,"  see  Buffou's  Natural  Hist. 
(Trans,  by  Win.  Smellie,  London,  1812),  vol.  xvi.  pp.  346-347. 

Buffon  believes  this  to  be  the  same  bird  described  under 
the  name  "  bishop  "  in  Dupratz's  Hist,  of  Louisiana :  — 

"  Its  notes  are  so  flexible,  its  warble  so  tender,  that  when  we 
once  hear  it,  we  become  more  reserved  in  our  eulogiums  on 
the  nightingale.  Its  song  lasts  during  a  Miserere,  and  during 
the  whole  time  it  never  makes  an  inspiration ;  it  rests  twice 
as  long  before  it  renews  its  music,  the  whole  interval  elapsed 
being  about  two  hours." 

Organ-Bird. 

The  trustworthy  observer,  Mr.  Bates,  writes  of  a  songster 
of  the  Amazonian  forest,  called  also  the  organ-bird,  or 
realejho  (Gyphorhinus  cantans)  :  — 

"  When  its  singular  notes  strike  the  ear  for  the  first  time  the  impres- 
sion cannot  be  resisted  that  they  are  produced  by  a  human  voice.  Some 
musical  boy  must  be  gathering  fruits  in  the  thickets,  and  is  singing  a  few 
notes  just  to  cheer  himself.  The  tones  become  more  fluty  and  plaintive,  — 
they  are  now  those  of  a  flageolet ;  and  notwithstanding  the  utter  impos- 
sibility of  the  thing,  one  is  for  the  moment  convinced  that  some  one  is 

playing  that  instrument It  is  the  only  songster  which  makes  an 

impression  on  the  natives,  who  sometimes  rest  their  paddles  whilst  travel- 


APPENDIX.  187 


ORGAN-BIRD.  —  Contin. 


ling  in  their  small  canoes  along  the  shady  by-paths,  as  if  struck  by  the 
mysterious  sound."  —  Hudson,  W.  H. :  South  American  Bird-music.  (Nature, 
vol.  xxxiii.  pp.  199-201.) 


Solitaire.     (Musicapa  armillata,  Viellot.) 

Mr.  Hill  thought  Buffon's  "  organist "  the  same  as  the 
solitaire.  Gosse  corrects  him  on  page  202,  "Birds  of 
Jamaica."  This  error  admitted,  the  naturalist  of  Spanish 
Town  has  put  us  greatly  in  his  debt  by  a  description  of  a 
master  singer  in  Hayti :  — 

"  As  soon  as  the  first  indications  of  daylight  are  perceived,  even  while 
the  mists  hang  over  the  forests,  these  minstrels  are  heard  pouring  forth 
their  wild  notes  in  a  concert  of  many  voices,  sweet  and  lengthened  like 
those  of  the  harmonica  or  musical  glasses.  It  is  the  sweetest,  the  most 
solemn  and  most  unearthly  of  all  the  woodland  singing  I  have  ever  heard. 
The  lofty  locality,  the  cloud-capped  heights,  to  which  alone  the  eagle  soars 
in  other  countries,  —  so  different  from  ordinary  singing-birds  in  gardens 
and  cultivated  fields,  —  combine  with  the  solemnity  of  the  music  to  excite 
something  like  devotional  associations.  The  notes  are  uttered  slowly  and 
distinctly,  with  a  strangely-measured  exactness.  Though  it  is  seldom 
that  the  bird  is  seen,  it  can  scarcely  be  said  to  be  solitary,  since  it  rarely 
sings  alone,  but  in  harmony  or  concert  with  some  half-dozen  others 
chanting  in  the  same  glen.  Occasionally  it  strikes  out  into  such  an 
adventitious  combination  of  notes  as  to  form  a  perfect  tune.  The  time 
of  enunciating  a  single  note  is  that  of  the  semibreve.  The  quaver  is 
executed  with  the  most  perfect  trill.  It  regards  the  major  and  minor 
cadences,  and  observes  the  harmony  of  counterpoint,  with  all  the  pre- 
ciseness  of  a  perfect  musician.  Its  melodies,  from  the  length  and  dis- 
tinctness of  each  note,  are  more  hymns  than  songs.  Though  the  concert 
of  singers  will  keep  to  the  same  melody  for  an  hour,  each  little  coterie 
of  birds  chants  a  different  song,  and  the  traveller  by  no.  accident  ever 
hears  the  same  tune."  —  Hill,  B. :  in  Gosse,  P.  H.,  Birds  of  Jamaica,  pp. 
201-202. 

See  Index,  Johnston,  A.  G. 


188  WOOD  NOTES   WILD. 


Rose-breasted  Grosbeak.    (See  p.  76.) 

"It  is  a  very  fine  songster,  and  is  hardly  excelled  by  any  of  our  other 
species,  —  its  notes  being  uttered,  not  only  through  the  day,  but  also 
during  the  night,  as  I  have  heard  on  several  occasions.  The  song  is 
difficult  of  description;  it  is  a  sweet  warble,  with  various  emphatic 
passages,  and  sometimes  a  plaintive  strain,  exceedingly  tender  and 
affecting."  —  Samuels,  E.  A. :  Our  Northern  and  Eastern  Birds,  p.  330. 

"  He  is  not  always  silent  during  the  day,  when  feeding,  but  it  is  at 
evening  in  May  or  June  that  he  sings  most  loudly  and  sweetly.  Then, 
perching  near  the  top  of  some  low  tree,  he  pours  out  an  extremely 
mellow  warble,  like  that  of  the  Robin,  but  very  much  finer.  Sometimes 
in  the  love-season  he  sings  at  night,  and  with  an  ardor  which  adds  to 
the  beauty  of  his  song."  —  Minot,  H.  D:  Land-birds  and  Game-birds  of 
N.  E  ,  p.  234. 

"  It  thrives  very  well  in  a  cage,  is  a  most  melodious  and  indefatigable 
warbler,  frequently  in  fine  weather,  as  in  its  state  of  freedom,  passing  a 
great  part  of  the  night  in  singing,  with  all  the  varied  and  touching  tones 
of  the  nightingale.  While  thus  earnestly  engaged,  it  seems  to  mount 
on  tiptoe  in  an  ecstasy  of  enthusiasm  and  delight  at  the  unrivalled 
harmony  of  its  own  voice.  The  notes  are  wholly  warbled,  now  loud, 
clear,  and  vaulting  with  a  querulous  air,  then  perhaps  sprightly,  and 
finally  lower,  tender,  and  pathetic.  In  short,  I  am  not  acquainted  with 
any  of  our  birds  superior  in  song  to  the  present,  with  the  solitary  excep- 
tion of  our  Orphean  Mocking-bird."  —  Nuttall,  T. :  Manual  of  Ornithology, 
p.  623. 

See  also  Lunt,  H. :  Across  Lots,  p.  109. 

Mr.  Burroughs  thinks  that  this  performer  has  "fine  talents,  but  not 
genius"  (in  his  Wake-robin,  pp.  67-68). 

The  Author's  Power  of  Memory.    (See  p.  76). 

The  author's  tenacious  memory  of  both  sound  and  sight 
is  illustrated  by  the  following  notation  of  an  old  melody 
and  by  an  extract  from  a  letter  dated  January,  1888. 

"Learned  this  at  sixteen  as  John  Foss  whistled  it  in 
smooth  full  tones  when  we  were  making  horseshoes, 
evenings.  This  was  while  the  irons  were  heating. 


APPENDIX.  189 

THE  AUTHOR'S  POWER  OF  MEMORY.  —  Contin. 

Dec.  15, 1889. 


«££ff- 


y  r  r  r  trtr  cr  r 


"  I  have  had  three  wonderful  horses,  all  small,  —  Old 
Pink,  Old  Dresser  Mare,  and  Lightfoot.  I  have  written 
them  up.  Have  a  photograph  of  Dresser  and  Lightfoot  ; 
and  can  from  memory  dictate  a  good  picture  of  old  Pink. 
Dear  me  !  I  have  omitted  'Flying  Jennie/  the  '  most  grand- 
est '  of  all,  of  whom  you  know  little.  I  have  her  also  pho- 
tographed in  my  eye,  and  shall  have  while  I  dwell  '  here 
below.'  These  four  animals  were  not  surpassed  for  rare 
qualities  by  any  that  I  have  known  of.  Each  was  a  won- 
der. Old  Dresser  was  fifteen  years  old  before  she  was 
harnessed.  You  remember  her  at  forty.  Think  of  that  !  " 

Red-eyed  Vireo.    (See  p.  78.) 

"Their  song  consists  of  a  few  notes,  which  are  warbled  again  and 
again  with  little  intermission  or  variety  (and  which  are  sometimes  inter- 
rupted now  and  then  by  a  low  whistle).  This  music  would  be  monoto- 
nous were  it  not  for  its  wonderful  cheerfulness,  energy,  and  animation,  in 
these  qualities  resembling  the  Robin's  song.  The  '  Red-eyes  '  have  also  a 
chip,  a  chatter  like  a  miniature  of  the  Oriole's  scold  (and  to  be  heard  in 
the  season  of  courtship),  and  a  peculiarly  characteristic  querulous  note, 
which,  like  others,  cannot  be  described  accurately  ;  whence  the  advantage 


190  WOOD  NOTES   WILD. 

RED-EYED  VIREO.  —  Contin. 

of  studying  birds  through  Nature,  and  not  through  books. —  Minot,  H.  D. : 
Land-birds  and  Game-birds  of  N.  E.,  p.  157. 

"  It  is  a  most  persistent  and  tireless  songster,  whose  earnest  melody 
enlivens  the  sultry  noon  and  the  drowsy,  listless  after-hours  of  mid- 
summer days,  which  prove  too  much  for  the  spirit  of  unwilling  school- 
boys, but  seem  to  have  no  depressing  effect  upon  this  indefatigable 
musician."  —  Stearns,  W.  A. :  N.  E.  Bird-life,  p.  196. 

"  Everywhere  in  these  States,  at  all  hours  of  the  day,  from  early  dawn 
until  evening  twilight,  his  sweet,  half-plaintive,  half-meditative  carol  is 
heard.  I  know  that  I  am  not  singular  in  my  preference  when  I  say 
that  of  all  my  feathered  acquaintances,  this  is  the  greatest  favorite  I 
have."  —  Samuels,  E.  A. :  Our  Northern  and  Eastern  Birds,  p.  271. 

"  In  moist  and  dark  summer  weather,  his  voice  seems  to  be  one  con- 
tinued, untiring  warble  of  exquisite  sweetness ;  and  in  the  most  populous 
and  noisy  streets  of  Boston,  his  shrill  and  tender  lay  is  commonly  heard 
from  the  tall  elms."  —  Nuttall,  T. :  Manual  of  Ornithology,  p.  354. 

See  also  Lunt,  H. :  Across  Lots,  p.  116. 


Energy  expended  in  Bird-Song1. 

The  energy  expended  in  the  day-long  singing  of  the 
vireo  is  a  source  of  continuous  wonderment.  The  Eev. 
J.  G.  Wood,  a  man  well  fitted  to  speak  of  indefatigable 
effort,  has  a  passage  on  that  prodigy  of  song,  the  English 
lark;  — 

"  The  lark  ascends  until  it  looks  no  larger  than  a  midge,  and  can  with 
difficulty  be  seen  by  the  unaided  eye,  and  yet  every  note  will  be  clearly 
audible  to  persons  who  are  fully  half  a  mile  from  the  nest  over  which  the 
bird  utters  its  song.  Moreover,  it  never  ceases  to  sing  for  a  moment,  a 
feat  which  seems  wonderful  to  us  human  beings,  who  find  that  a  song  of 
six  or  seven  minutes  in  length,  though  interspersed  with  rests  and  pauses, 
is  more  than  trying.  Even  a  practised  public  speaker,  though  he  can 
pause  at  the  end  of  each  sentence,  finds  the  applause  of  the  audience  a 
very  welcome  relief.  Moreover,  the  singer  and  speaker  need  to  use  no 
exertion  save  exercising  their  voices.  Yet  the  bird  will  pour  out  a  continu- 
ous song  of  nearly  twenty  minutes  in  length,  and  all  the  time  has  to  support 
itself  in  the  air  by  the  constant  use  of  its  wings."  —  Wood, -Rev.  J.  G. 


APPENDIX.  191 


Yellow-breasted  Chat. 

"As  soon  as  our  bird  has  chosen  his  retreat,  which  is  commonly  in 
some  thorny  or  viny  thicket,  where  he  can  obtain  concealment,  he  be- 
comes jealous  of  his  assumed  rights,  and  resents  the  least  intrusion, 
scolding  all  who  approach  in  a  variety  of  odd  and  uncouth  tones,  very 
difficult  to  describe  or  imitate,  except  by  a  whistling,  in  which  case  the 
bird  may  be  made  to  approach,  but  seldom  within  sight.  His  responses 
on  such  occasions  are  constant  and  rapid,  expressive  of  anger  and  anxiety ; 
and  still  unseen,  his  voice  shifts  from  place  to  place  amidst  the  thicket, 
like  the  haunting  of  a  fairy.  Some  of  these  notes  resemble  the  whistling 
of  the  wings  of  a  flying  duck,  at  first  loud  and  rapid,  then  sinking  till  they 
seem  to  end  in  single  notes.  A  succession  of  other  tones  are  now  heard, 
some  like  the  barking  of  young  puppies,  with  a  variety  of  hollow,  guttural, 
uncommon  sounds,  frequently  repeated,  and  terminated  occasionally  by 
something  like  the  mewing  of  a  cat,  but  hoarser,  —  a  tone  to  which  all  our 
vireos,  particularly  the  young,  have  frequent  recurrence.  All  these  notes 
are  uttered  with  vehemence,  and  with  such  strange  and  various  modula- 
tions as  to  appear  near  or  distant,  like  the  manoeuvres  of  ventriloquism.1 
In  mild  weather  also,  when  the  moon  shines,  this  gabbling,  with  exuber- 
ance of  life  and  emotion,  is  heard  nearly  throughout  the  night,  as  if  the 
performer  were  disputing  with  the  echoes  of  his  own  voice."  —  Nuttall,  T. : 
Manual  of  Ornithology,  p.  340. 

Bobolink.    (Seep.  82.) 

"  Have  tried  on  the  bobolink.  Found  him,  as  I  antici- 
pated, impossible  to  copy  fully,  but  I  can  make  out  his 
pitch,2  and  some  of  his  notes.  One  must  be  very  quick 
to  decide  on  the  intervals  in  a  bird-song;  I  have  much 
improved  in  it,  and  I  was  tolerably  apt  when  I  took  'em 

1  See  Index,  Ventriloquism. 

2  Mr.  Cheney  took  the  pitch  with  a  little  reed  instrument  made  for 
the  purpose.    It  is  about  five  inches  long  and  two  inches  wide.    The 
tones  are,  — 


r    r   T  ii 


192  WOOD  NOTES   WILD. 

BOBOLINK.  —  Contin. 

up.    But  bobolink  is  too  much  for  me.     He  is  a  stent. 
My  grandfather  used  to  say  he  sang,  — • 

"  '  Queer,  queer,  ker  chube 
Ker  dingle-dongle  swingle 
Serangle  kalamy  kalamy 
Whoa  boys,  whoa  boys 
Wicklemerlick  wicklemerlick  steeple 
Steeple  stoot  steere 
Queer  queer  temp,  temp ! ' " 

C.,  S.  P.  in  a  letter  dated  October,  1886. 

Ingenious  as  Grandsire  Cheney  was,  he  has  been  outdone 
by,  or  at  least  in  the  name  of,  some  colored  brother  of  a 
later  generation :  — 

"  Liberty,  liberty, 
Berry  nice  to  be  free  ! 
Bob-o-link  where  he  please, 
Fly  in  de  apple-trees  ; 
Oh  't  is  de  freedom  note 
Guggle  sweet  in  him  troat. 
Jink-a-link,  jink-a-jink. 
Winky  wink,  winky  wink, 
Only  tink,  only  tink, 
How  happy,  Bob-o-link ! 
Sweet  I  Sweet !  " 

Lost  Hunter,  pub.  by  Derby  and  Jackson,  1855  ? 

This  tour  de  force  in  onomatopoeia  goes  far  toward 
redeeming  the  many  failures  with  which  one  instantly 
contrasts  it.  We  may  doubt  that  the  song  thrush  (Turdus 
musicus)  carols,  "  My  dear,  my  pretty  dear,  my  pretty  little 
dear ; "  we  can  hardly  credit  the  Moslem  that  the  curlew 
sings  over  and  over  "  Lak,  lak,  lak !  la  Kharya  Kalak  fih 


APPENDIX.  193 

BOBOLINK.  —  Contin. 

il  mulk "  (God  alone  is  king,  etc.) ;  we  may  absolutely 
refuse  to  listen  to  Bechstein's  dreadful  zozozos  and 
tsissisis  and  kigaigais  saddled  on  the  prima  donna  of  all 
the  choirs  of  air,  —  but  this  simple  "Liberty,  liberty" 
song,  together  with  certain  happy  syllables  of  Emerson 
and  a  very  few  others,  may  well  be  allowed  to  stand. 

"  Mounting  and  hovering  on  wing  at  a  small  height  above  the  field,  he 
chants  out  such  a  jingling  medley  of  short,  variable  notes,  uttered  with 
such  seeming  confusion  and  rapidity,  and  continued  for  a  considerable 
time,  that  it  appears  as  if  half  a  dozen  birds  of  different  kinds  were  all 
singing  together.  Some  idea  may  be  formed  of  this  song  by  striking  the 
high  keys  of  a  pianoforte  at  random  singly  and  quickly,  making  as  many 
sudden  contrasts  of  high  and  low  notes  as  possible.  Many  of  the  tones 
are  in  themselves  charming ;  but  they  succeed  each  other  so  rapidly  that 
the  ear  can  hardly  separate  them.  Nevertheless,  the  general  effect  is 
good ;  and  when  ten  or  twelve  are  all  singing  on  the  same  tree,  the 
concert l  is  singularly  pleasing."  —  Wilson,  A. :  Amer.  Ornithology,  vol.  ii. 
(Phil.  1810),  p.  50 

"  [The  sky-lark's  song  is]  not  very  musical,  not  so  rich  as  our  bobolink's 
roundelay." — Minot,  H.  D. :  in  Am.  Nat,  vol.  xiv.,  1880,  p.  563. 

(Macgillivray  says,  "The  song  of  the  lark  is  certainly  not  musical.") 

For  a  bobolink  in  the  role  of  a  canary,  see  Litt.  Liv.  Age,  vol.  xxix., 
1851,  p.  312. 

1  "  The  bobolinks  are  very  numerous  around  my  home  in  Caledonia 
County,  Vt.,  and  I  once  heard  there  what  seemed  to  me  a  very  remarkable 
bobolink  concert.  There  are  two  butternut-trees  growing  in  the  corner 
of  our  garden,  and  my  attention  was  attracted  one  day  by  an  unusual 
chattering  from  that  ^quarter.  Upon  going  near,  I  saw  that  the  trees 
were  filled  with  bobolinks,  every  one  of  which  was  singing  as  loud  as 
he  could  sing.  After  a  short  time,  one  of  their  number  flew  away,  and 
to  my  surprise,  every  bird  stopped  singing.  Soon  they  all  began  again, 
not  together,  but  one  at  a  time.  The  first  to  begin  sang  the  liquid 
opening  notes  alone,  and  just  as  he  started  in  with  the  rollicking  song 
that  follows,  a  second  struck  in  with  the  same  sweet  first  notes,  then 
a  third  struck  in  at  the  same  point  in  his  song ;  and  so  it  went  on,  until 
they  were  all  singing  again,  and  under  all  the  rollicking  chatter  vibrated 
the  tender  undertone  of  the  liquid  notes  that  begin  their  song.  I  watched 

13 


194  WOOD  NOTES   WILD. 


Yellow-billed  Cuckoo.    (See  p.  89.) 

"  The  notes  of  the  Yellow-billed  Cuckoo  do  not  differ  distinctly  from 
those  of  the  Black-billed  species,  though  often  harsher. 

"The  notes  of  the  Cuckoo  are  all  unmusical,  and  more  or  less  uncouth  and 
guttural.  They  are  much  varied,  being  sometimes  cow-cow-cow-cow-cow, 
cow-cow,  sometimes  cuckoo1 -cuckoo1 -cuckoo' y  sometimes  cuckucow',  cuckucow', 
and  at  other  times  low.  Many  of  them  are  very  liquid,  but  I  have  heard 
one  cry  which  has  an  affinity  to  that  of  certain  Woodpeckers.  The  Cuckoo 
may  sometimes  be  heard  at  night."  —  Minot,  H.  D. :  Land-birds  and  Game- 
bh  Is  of  N.  E.,  pp.  309-310. 

Cuckoo.     (See  p.  87.) 

Mr.  Mitford  is  quoted  as  saying  of  the  English  cuckoo  that  it  begins  to 
sing  "  early  in  the  season  with  the  interval  of  a  minor  third ;  the  bird  then 
proceeds  to  a  major  third,  next  to  a  fourth,  then  to  a  fifth,  after  which 
his  voice  breaks  without  attaining  a  minor  sixth."  —  Domestic  Habits  of 
Birds.  (Lib.  Enter.  Knowl.,  p.  305.) 

The  writer  then  goes  on  to  say  that  the  "  usual  note  of 
the  cuckoo  is  the  minor  third,  sung  downwards,  thus :  " 


and  listened  as  long  as  the  concert  lasted,  and  whenever  one  of  the  per- 
formers flew  away,  which  occurred  several  times,  they  were  all  silent 
for  the  space  of  perhaps  half  a  minute,  when  they  would  start  in  again. 
Plainly  they  had  a  method,  and  probably  a  leader.  I  am  quite  sure  that 
no  two  started  in  together,  as  even  after  so  many  were  singing  that  I 
could  not  trace  each  voice  as  it  began,  the  number  of  voices  steadily 
increased  till  the  whole  choir  was  singing  again.  I  cannot  give  the  date, 
but  it  may  have  been  as  early  as  1882,  and  must  have  been  in  June,  as 
that  is  the  bobolinks'  merriest  month.  Although  I  had  never  missed  a 
June  among  the  bobolinks,  this  was  the  first  time  I  had  heard  a  bobolink 
concert.  I  heard  a  like  performance  a  few,  perhaps  three,  times  after- 
wards, but  never  so  many  performers ;  nor  did  I  ever  again  hear  them 
sing  so  long  a  time.  I  think  I  never  heard  them  sing  in  this  way  twice 
in  the  same  year,  and  never  anywhere  but  in  those  same  butternut-trees. 
No  one  to  whom  I  have  mentioned  this  performance  has  heard  anything  of 
the  kind/'  —  Hay  ward,  Miss  C.  A.,  in  a  note  to  the  Editor  dated  August,  1891. 


APPENDIX.  195 

CUCKOO.  —  Contin. 

Father  Kircher  gives  it  (Musurgia,  bk.  i.  p.  30)  as 
follows :  — 


Gu   -   cu,          gu    -    cu,         gu 

Gardiner  puts  it  in  the  major  :  — 


r 


See  Index,  Cuckoo. 

For  intervals  of  English  cuckoo  song  see  Nature,  vol.  xxii.,  1880,  pp. 
76,  97,  122;  vol.  xxxvi.,  1887,  p.  344. 

For  manner  in  delivery  see  Knight,  F.  A. :  By  Leafy  Ways,  p.  18. 

Bell-Bird. 

The  cuckoo  has  a  delightful  rival  in  distinctness  of 
utterance,  one  of  the  gayly-colored  cotingas  inhabiting  the 
mountains  of  Demerara :  — 

"  The  fifth  species  is  the  celebrated  Campanero  of  the  Spaniards,  called 
Dara  by  the  Indians,  and  Bell-bird  by  the  English.  He  is  about  the  size 
of  the  jay.  His  plumage  is  white  as  snow.  On  his  forehead  rises  a  spiral 
tube  nearly  three  inches  long.  It  is  jet  black,  dotted  all  over  with  small 
white  feathers.  It  has  a  communication  with  the  palate,  and  when  filled 
with  air,  looks  like  a  spire ;  when  empty  it  becomes  pendulous.  His  note 
is  loud  and  clear,  like  the  sound  of  a  bell,  and  may  be  heard  at  the  dis- 
tance of  three  miles.  In  the  midst  of  these  extensive  wilds,  generally  on 
the  dried  top  of  an  aged  mora,  almost  out  of  gun  reach,  you  will  see  the 
campanero.  No  sound  or  song  from  any  of  the  winged  inhabitants  of 
the  forest,  not  even  the  clearly  pronounced '  Whip-poor- Will '  from  the  goat- 
sucker, causes  such  astonishment  as  the  toll  of  the  campanero.  With 
many  of  the  feathered  race,  he  pays  the  common  tribute  of  a  morning  and 
an  evening  song ;  and  even  when  the  meridian  sun  has  shut  in  silence  the 
mouths  of  almost  the  whole  of  animated  Nature,  the  campanero  still  cheers 
the  forest.  You  hear  his  toll,  and  then  a  pause  for  a  minute,  then  another 


1 
196  WOOD  NOTES   WILD. 

BELL-BIRD.  —  Contin. 

toll,  and  then  a  pause  again,  and  then  a  toll,  and  again  a  pause.    Then  he 
is  silent  for  six  or  eight  minutes,  and  then  another  toll,  and  so  on. 

"  Acteon  would  stop  in  mid  chase,  Maria  would  defer  her  evening  song, 
and  Orpheus  himself  would  drop  his  lute  to  listen  to  him,  so  sweet,  so  novel 
and  romantic  is  the  toll  of  the  pretty  snow-white  campanero.  He  is  never 
seen  to  feed  with  the  other  cotingas,  nor  is  it  known  in  what  part  of  Guiana 
he  makes  his  nest/'  —  Waterton,  C.:  Wanderings  in  South  America  (London, 
1879),  p.  180-181. 

See  aho  Funk,  N :  Glockengelaute  im  Walde.  ( Gartenlaube,  1875,  pp. 
527-530.)  —  Gosse,  P.  H  :  Romance  of  Nat.  Hist.  pp.  21-22. 


Ruffed  Grouse.    (See  p.  92.) 

"  Audubon  supports  me  on  the  night-hawk  booming ; 
but  says  the  partridge  drums  on  his  breast.  I  am  alone 

on  this  point."  —  C.,  S.  P.,  in  a  letter  dated  February,  1888. 

It  is  not  strange  that  our  author  believed  himself  alone 
on  this  point.  A  fact  it  is  that  the  great  names,  with 
hardly  an  exception,  are  ranged  against  him.  Darwin 
quotes  only  the  old  orthodox  "  body  "  and  "  log  "  reporters. 
Dr.  Coues,  however,  comes  to  a  contrary  conclusion. 

"  Early  in  spring,  the  male  begins  '  drumming ' ;  this  habit  is  peculiar  to 
this  species,  and  is  probably  familiar  to  all  persons  who  have  passed  much 
of  their  time  in  the  woods. 

"  I  have  heard  this  drumming  as  early  as  February,  and  as  late  as 
September ;  but  usually  it  is  not  heard  much  before  the  first  of  April. 
The  bird  resorts  to  a  fallen  trunk  of  a  tree  or  log,  and  while  strutting 
like  the  male  turkey,  beats  his  wings  against  his  sides  and  the  log  with 
considerable  force. 

"  This  produces  a  hollow  drumming  noise  that  may  be  heard  to  a  con- 
siderable distance  ;  it  commences  very  slowly,  and  after  a  few  strokes, 
gradually  increases  in  velocity,  and  terminates  with  a  rolling  beat  very 
similar  to  the  roll  of  a  drum. 

"  I  know  not  by  what  law  of  acoustics,  but  this  drumming  is  peculiar  in 
sounding  equally  as  loud  at  a  considerable  distance  off  as  within  a  few 


APPENDIX.  197 

RUFFED  GROUSE.  —  Contin. 

rods.  I  have  searched  for  the  bird  when  I  have  heard  the  dramming, 
and  while  supposing  him  to  be  at  a  considerable  distance,  have  flushed  him 
within  the  distance  of  fifty  feet,  and  vice  versa."  —  Samuels,  E.  A.  :  Our 
Northern  and  Eastern  Birds,  pp.  386-387. 

"  In  the  spring  and  early  summer  may  be  heard  that  remarkable  sound 
called  '  drumming.'  Whoever  is  fortunate  enough  to  approach  closely  an 
old  cock  in  the  act  of  drumming,  will  be  well  rewarded  for  the  trouble  that 
he  may  have  taken  in  so  doing.  Generally  on  a  log  or  broad  stump  or  in  a 
cleared  spot,  the  bird  will  be  seen,  puffed  like  a  turkey  to  twice  his 
natural  size,  with  his  crest  erect,  his  ruffs  extended,  and  his  tail  spread, 
strutting  about,  lowering  or  twisting  his  neck  and  head,  and  then  suddenly 
beating  violently  with  his  wings  his  inflated  body.  This  causes  a  sound 
which  on  a  favorable  day  may  be  heard  for  a  mile  or  two,  and  which  is 
often  repeated  at  intervals  for  some  time.  One  can  appreciate  the 
muscular  vitality  of  the  wings  and  the  rapidity  of  their  motion,  by 
endeavoring  to  imitate  the  sound  on  a  cushion  (or  other  surface)  with  the 
hand.  It  will  be  found  impossible  to  equal  or  even  to  approach  the  rapidity 
of  the  repeated  strokes."  —  Minot,  H.  D.:  Land-birds  and  Game-birds  of 
N.E.,p.  390. 

"  Most  writers  follow  Audubon  and  Nuttall  in  saying  that  the  drumming 
is  produced  by  striking  the  wings  against  the  body ;  but  from  the  accounts 
given  me  by  reliable  sportsmen,  there  is  no  doubt  that  the  above  high 
authorities  are  in  error.  Wilson  does  not  say  that  the  wings  are  struck 
against  the  body,  though  it  is  somewhat  uncertain  whether  he  meant  to 
say  so  or  not,  since  the  rest  of  his  description  is  substantially  that  of 
Audubon  and  Nuttall. 

"  My  esteemed  friend,  Mr.  H.  W.  Henshaw,  of  Cambridge,  Mass.,  has 
furnished  me  with  what  I  believe  to  be  a  reliable  account  of  the  manner 
in  which  the  drumming  is  produced.  His  authorities  are  his  father  and 
Mr.  William  Brewster,  of  Cambridge,  —  the  latter  an  accomplished  sports- 
man, whose  statements  I  can  vouch  for  myself.  Mr.  Henshaw  describes 
the  drumming  process  as  follows :  — 

"'  The  bird  sits  crosswise  upon  the  log,  resting  upon  the  back  of  the  tarsi 
(not  standing  erect  as  described  by  some  writers),  its  tail  projecting  nearly 
horizontally  behind  (not  erected)  and  spread ;  the  head  is  drawn  back,  the 
feathers  pressed  close  to  the  body.  The  wings  are  then  raised  and  stiff- 
ened,and  drumming  commences  by  a  slow,  hard  stroke  with  both  wings, 
downward  and  forward ;  but  they  are  stopped  before  they  touch  the  body. 
The  rapidity  of  this  motion  is  increased  after  the  first  few  beats,  when  the 
wings  move  so  fast  that  only  a  semi- circular  haze  over  the  bird  is  visible ; 


198  WOOD  NOTES   WILD. 

RUFFED  GROUSE.  —  Contin. 

this  rapid  vibration  causing  the  rolling  noise  with  which  the  sound  termi- 
nates. The  movements  of  the  wings,  and  the  rumbling  thereby  produced, 
are  entirely  analogous  to  those  produced  by  the  humming-bird,  when 
hovering  over  a  flower.  This  I  believe  to  be  the  true  description  of  the 
manner  of  drumming,  and  I  am  happy  to  add  that  my  father,  who  has 
often  crawled  up  to  within  twenty  feet  of  the  bird  at  such  times,  corrobo- 
rates it  in  every  particular.  There  are,  doubtless,  among  those  who  read 
the  '  Sportsman/  many  who  have  had  opportunities  to  watch  the  operations 
of  the  ruffed  grouse  when  engaged  in  drumming,  and  the  experience  of 
each  one  would  be  a  very  acceptable  contribution  to  our  knowledge  of  the 
habits  of  this  very  interesting  species. 

" '  The  fact  that  the  drumming  of  the  ruffed  grouse  is  heard  as  often  in 
autumn  as  in  spring  has  raised  the  question  of  why  this  sound  is  produced. 
In  regard  to  this,  Nuttall  is  probably  correct  in  saying  that  it  is  often  '  an 
instinctive  expression  of  hilarity  and  vigor/  as  well  as  the  call-note  of  the 
male  during  the  breeding  season/ 

"  To  this  article  Mr.  J.  H.  Batty  replies  in  the  following  terms :  — 
" '  In  No.  21  of  the  '  Sportsman '  I  find  an  article  of  my  friend,  Mr.  Ridg- 
way,  '  Why  and  how  does  the  ruffed  grouse  drum  ? '  I  solved  the 
mystery,  to  my  own  satisfaction,  some  five  years  ago,  when  living  at 
Springfield,  Mass.  The  peculiar  noise  made  by  the  ruffed  grouse  is 
caused  by  the  backs  or  exterior  sides  of  the  wings  striking  each  other  as 
they  are  forcibly  raised  over  the  back  of  the  bird.  I  have  seen  the  grouse 
drum,  within  a  few  yards  of  me,  a  number  of  times.  On  one  occasion  I 
was  sitting  on  a  log  in  the  woods,  by  a  stone  wall,  eating  my  lunch. 
While  thus  engaged,  a  ruffed  grouse  mounted  the  wall,  about  fifty  yards 
from  my  position,  and  commenced  walking  on  it  directly  toward  me.  I 
immediately  lay  down  behind  the  log  on  which  I  had  been  sitting,  and 
awaited  the  approach  of  the  bird.  When  it  had  reached  a  point  opposite 
me  it  mounted  a  large  elevated  stone  on  the  top  of  the  wall  and  com- 
menced drumming,  after  a  series  of  struttings  backward  and  forward  on 
the  wall,  as  described  by  Audubon,  Wilson,  and  others.  When  the  bird 
was  drumming,  its  back  was  toward  me,  and  I  had  an  unobstructed  view 
of  it  against  the  sky.  The  grouse  first  struck  its  wings  together  slowly 
and  strongly,  then  gradually  increased  these  strokes  until  the  single  strokes 
could  not  be  detected.  During  the  more  rapid  beating  of  the  wings  the 
'  semi-circular  haze '  caused  by  the  wings  was  observable,  as  stated  by  Mr. 
Henshaw.  The  wings  of  the  grouse  were  stiffened,  and  the  strokes  given 
from  the  shoulder  (if  I  may  so  speak) ;  and  the  wings  did  not  appear  to 
touch  the  bird's  sides. 


APPENDIX.  199 

RUFFED  GROUSE.  —  Contin. 

" '  This  occurred  in  October.  Later  in  the  season,  when  going  the  round 
of  my  mink  and  musk-rat  traps,  I  found  a  male  ruffed  grouse  caught  in 
one  of  them  by  the  leg.  The  bird  had  evidently  been  caught  but  a  short 
time  before  my  arrival ;  and  as  the  trap  which  held  it  was  a  small  and 
weak  one,  and  the  jaws  were  filled  with  leaves,  the  bird's  leg  had  not  been 
broken.  I  carried  the  grouse  home  and  put  it  in  a  large  feed-box  which 
was  standing  in  the  open  air  under  the  shade  of  an  apple-tree.  When  re- 
turning from  a  hunting  excursion,  one  day,  one  of  my  neighbors  said, 
'  Your  partridge  has  been  drumming/  I  put  an  old  stump  in  the  box  of 
my  captive,  and  it  had  the  desired  results,  for  the  next  morning  it  was 
drumming  loudly.  I  observed  its  motions  when  drumming,  through  a 
hole  in  the  box,  and  I  am  confident  that  the  noise  was  caused  by  the  wings 
coming  forcibly  in  contact  with  each  other.  Let  any  person  take  the 
wings  of  a  dead  grouse  in  his  hands  and  beat  them  quickly  together  over 
the  bird's  back,  and  it  will  be  seen  at  once  that  the  peculiar  sound  made 
by  the  ruffed  grouse,  and  called  drumming,  is  naturally  produced.  The 
'  young-of-the-year '  of  the  male  grouse  drum  in  the  autumn  more  fre- 
quently than  the  adult  males,  as  I  have  ascertained  by  shooting  them 
when  in  the  act.  I  have  found  great  difficulty  in  stalking  the  grouse 
at  their  drumming-posts,  and  have  often  failed  in  my  attempt  to  do  it. 
The  male  birds  fight  hard  battles  in  the  spring,  and  I  once  caught  an  old 
cock  by  the  legs  in  a  snare,  that  had  its  head  cut  and  bruised  very  badly, 
and  portions  of  its  neck  almost  destitute  of  feathers,  the  effects  of 
fighting. '  "  —  RIdgway,  B.,  in  American  Sportsman  (qwted  by  Ooues,  Dr.  E., 
in  his  Birds  of  the  North-west,  pp.  422-425). 

"  I  have  myself  never  witnessed  the  act ;  but  my  present  view  is  that  the 
noise  is  made  by  beating  the  air  simply,  —  not  by  striking  the  wings 
either  together  or  against  the  body  or  any  hard  object."  —  Coneg,  Dr.  E. : 
Birds  of  the  North-west,  p.  425. 

Finally,  Mr.  Torrey,  who,  after  repeated  observations, 
declines  to  say  how  the  "  drumming "  is  done,  records  a 
most  amusing  decision :  — 

"  A  man  who  is  a  far  better  ornithologist  than  I,  and  who  has  witnessed 
the  performance  under  altogether  more  favorable  conditions  than  I  was  ever 
afforded,  assures  me  that  his  performer  sat  down !"  —  Torrey,  B. :  A 
Rambler's  Lease,  p.  221. 


200  WOOD  NOTES   WILD. 

L,00n.     (Seep.  95.) 

Note :  "  Celia  Thaxter  says,  '  Loons  seem  to  me  the 
most  human  and  at  the  same  time  the  most  demoniac 
of  their  kind.  .  .  .  Their  long,  wild,  melancholy  cry  be- 
fore a  storm  is  the  most  awful  note  I  have  ever  heard 
from  a  bird.  It  is  so  sad,  so  hopeless,  —  a  shudder  of 
sound.'"  —  C.,  S.P. 

There  can  be  no  doubt  that  the  loon  flies  under  water, 
as  does  the  murre  or  guillemot,  a  bird  of  the  same  family 
as  the  auk. 

"  I  have  just  read  your  article-in  the  November  '  Century '  on  the  loon, 
and  venture  to  write  to  confirm  your  supposition  that  the  loon  does  use 
its  wings  under  water.  I  was  born  in  Harrison,  Cumberland  County, 
Maine,  at  the  head  of  Long  Lake;  and  one  bright  summer  morning  I 
was  standing  on  the  top  of  the  cabin  of  a  canal-boat  that  was  being 
slowly  '  poled  *  along  the  shore  of  the  lake  where  the  water  was  some 
ten  feet  deep  with  a  sandy  bottom.  The  lake  was  calm  and  the  water 
very  clear.  A  loon  that  was  swimming  some  distance  from  the  boat 
dove,  and  in  a  moment  I  saw  him  passing  within  about  twenty  feet  of 
the  boat  and  about  three  feet  under  water.  His  wings  were  in  rapid 
motion,  the  same  as  if  in  the  air ;  and  he  moved  very  swiftly.  For  the 
first  time  I  was  able  to  understand  how  they  could  go  so  far  under 
water  in  so  short  a  time.  This  was  thirty-five  years  ago,  and  I  was  about 
fifteen  years  old.  I  have  never  met  any  one  else  who  has  seen  a  loon 
fly  under  water.  My  eyesight  was  remarkably  good  at  the  time,  and  I 
am  sure  I  could  not  have  been  mistaken."  —  Blake,  Grinfill,  in  a  letter  to 
the  author,  dated  February,  1888  (New  Brunswick,  N.  J.). 

See  under  Loon,  White,  Rev.  G. :  Nat.  Hist,  of  Selborne. 

Great  Horned  Owl.  —  Harmony.    (See  p.  98.) 

"  Did  you  ever  hear  harmony  produced  by  bird-notes  ?  Thanksgiving 
I  took  a  horseback  trip  to  Mount  Diablo.  As  I  lay  awake  in  camp,  to- 
wards morning  a  great  horned  owl  began  to  hoot  in  its  deep  and  not  un- 
musical tones,  hoo-hoo,  hoo-to-hoo.  Soon  another  began  to  call  hard  by,  but 
not  on  the  same  tone ;  there  was  one  tone  between  them.  The  most  sin- 
gular effect  was  produced  when  the  two  birds  hooted  together,  as  they 
did  several  times.  It  was  a  perfect  chord  of  the  third."  —  Keeler,  C.  A., 
in  a  note  dated  Dec.  16, 1890. 


APPENDIX.  201 

Screech-Owl.    (Seep.  100.) 

Mr.  Lowell,  whose  wont  it  is  to  see  and  hear  the  thing 
commonly  overlooked,  regards  the  cry  of  this  owl  as  "  one 
of  the  sweetest  sounds  in  Nature." 

Hen  Music  and  Talk.    (See  p.  104.) 

"  As  an  example  of  bird  language  Mr.  C.  F.  Holder  says  in 
'Wide  Awake'  that  the  ordinary  domestic  fowl  presents  the 
most  interesting  and  perfect  songs.  Half  an  hour  in  a  barn- 
yard will  demonstrate  that  certain  sounds  are  the  equivalent 
of  words.  The  crow  of  the  cock  is  a  challenge  to  another 
cock,  and  is  not  noticed  by  the  hens ;  but  let  him  find  a 
delicate  morsel  and  he  stops  crowing  to  utter  a  succession  of 
short  notes  :  *  Tuck,  tuck,  tuck,  tuck !  '  at  which  the  hens 
gather  about  him  for  their  share  of  the  dainty. 

"  The  different  notes,  or  *  baby-talk,'  of  the  mother  hen  are 
of  great  variety,  and  mean  quite  different  things.  Every  biddy 
understands  that  '  chuck,  chuck,  chuck ! '  means  *  Come  home 
to  your  mother,'  just  as  the  quick  call,  *  tuck,  tuck,  tuck ! ' 
means  '  come  to  your  supper.'  Mr.  Holder  gives  the  follow- 
ing brief  chapter  of  domestic  fowl  language  from  a  dictionary 
too  extended  to  present  in  unabridged  form :  — 

'  Ur-ka-do-dle-do-o-o.    Challenge  of  male. 
Tuck,  tuck,  tuck.    Food  call. 
K-a-r-r-e.     Announcing  presence  of  hawk. 
Cut,  cut,  ca-da-cut.    Announcement  of  egg-laying. 
Cluck,  cluck,  cluck.     Call  of  young. 
Kerr,  kerr,  kerr.     Song  of  contentment  of  hen. 
C-r-a-w-z-z-e.    Quieting  young  chicks. 
W-h-o-o-i-e  (whistle).    Expression  of  apprehension  at  night. 
C-r-a-i-a-i-o-u.    Terror  and  protest  at  capture/  " 

Newspaper  clipping. 


VARIOUS  NOTATIONS 

OF 

THE    MUSIC    OF    NATURE. 


GROUPED  ACCORDING  TO  THE  SOURCE. 


WOOD  NOTES    WILD. 


205 


FROM   THE   AUTHOR'S   DIARY. 

CROW. 


r-nrsnm 


e 


ROOSTERS. 


. 

c  g'  g 

b  * 


4.    On  the  perch. 


5.    Out  of  doors. 


6.  Lynn,  Fe6.,  1886.  ^ 


J.  Again. 


8,  Small. 


COLT. 


1.    To  a  strange  horse. 


2.    To  his  mother. 


3.    To  me. 

frfrfrfrfr 


4.  Ont  of  doors,  alone,  uneasy. 


206 


WOOD  NOTES   WILD. 


For  hay. 
1.        >  Dec.  23. 


MARE. 

Louder. 


Dec.  24. 


I  E     E     E     C     '    I  E 


E 


3.    For  oats. 
•      t      i     1 


£=£=ti 


TWO-YEAR-OLD  BULL. 


Boh-oo  wah,     boh-oo  wah. 


YOUNG  COW. 

Calling  to  go  out  to  grass. 


Bwa, 


bwa, 


bwa. 


DOG. 


Howling  at  the  blowing  of  whistles.    Lynn,  January,  1888. 


BULL-FROGS. 


Near  a  floating  bridge. 
1.  2. 


WOOD  NOTES   WILD.  207 

5. 


J    J    J_J-  J    J   J  -J 


Ouiig,  oung,    ah-ha,  oung. 

Made  close  observations  this  morning  on  Tim's  purr- 
ing. I  find  that  he  varies  the  intervals.  Have  now 
heard  him  in  a  perfect  fifth.  He  ranges,  then,  from  one 
to  five  of  the  scale. 


The  rhythm  also  is  varied ;  there  is  a  crescendo  and 
ritardando  as  well,  and  the  dynamics  are  good.  So  far 
the  higher  tone  is  always  given  with  the  inhaling. 


208 


WOOD  NOTES    WILD. 


D.    H.    BECKLER. 

(Music  of  the  Birds,  in  "  Die  Gartenlaube  "  for  1867,  pp.,  558-55 9.1) 


(Names  of  the  birds  are  not  given,  simply  the  localities  where  the  songs 
were  taken). 


DARLING  DOWNS.    Heard  frequently. 

1.  e        e       e         e 


2.  DARLING  DOWNS. 

^ 


lib  pause. 


rf  1 

tz  

=  H 

uw_                                    •  1  j—  3 

—  J  — 

—  J- 

^  —  J  U 

1  There  is  something  about  the  very  look  of  these  notes,  from  the 
pen  of  a  German  traveller  in  Australia,  that  leads  one  to  believe  in  their 
accuracy.  This  reporter,  if  no  ornithologist  (kein  Zoologe)  is  indisputa- 
bly a  musician.  Unable,  in  many  instances,  to  so  much  as  catch  a  glimpse 
of  the  singer,  to  say  nothing  of  learning  his  name,  he  is  concerned  solely 
with  the  voices  he  heard.  Intent  on  correcting  a  prevalent  impression  in 
Europe  that  the  sweet  bird-songs  and  the  fragrant  flowers  flourish  there 
as  nowhere  else,  he  comes  to  the  gist  of  the  matter  at  once ;  The 
grandest  concerts  of  feathered  singers  (die  grossartigsten  Concerts  von 
qefiederten  Sdngern)  are  to  be  heard  in  the  clime  from  which  he  writes. 
From  this  he  goes  on  to  say,  in  substance,  that,  while  the  patient  observer 
can  translate  the  lovely  twittering  (liebliche  Gezuritscher)  of  the  birds  of 
Germany  into  words  or  syllables,  he  can,  with  the  requisite  musical 
knowledge,  bring  the  melodies  of  the  Australian  songsters  (die  Melodieen 
der  lufiigen  Sanger  Australiens)  into  our  note-system  with  the  nicest  differ- 
ences of  tone  and  the  most  exact  reproduction  of  the  rhythmic  movement 


WOOD  NOTES   WILD. 


209 


3.  HASTINGS  RIVER,  New  South  Wales. 
e  it     e      e 


j  j 


e    e       i 


I 


Tenterfleld,  New  England,  in  New  South  Wales. 
4.  i       i      e   e    e 


Ifl)     J 


m 


5.  Various  localities. 


s 


.or  cu         pauiw. 


(biz  zum  feinsten  Unterschied  der  Tone  und  mit  der  genauesten  Wiedergabe 
der  rhythmischen  Bewegung). 

He  says  that  he  wrote  his  brother  that  the  German  birds,"m  comparison 
with  the  Australian  singers,  were  mere  bunglers  (Stumper),  and  adds  that 
he  did  not  have  occasion  to  alter  his  opinion  later  on.  Three  times  he 
mentions  the  point  of  rhythm.  The  litany  of  the  owls  is  intoned  in 
exact  rhythm  (im  strengsten  Rhythmus).  This  paper,  meritorious  as  it 
is  isolated  in  the  annals  of  the  most  musical  of  nations,  is  heartily  com- 
mended to  all  readers,  especially  to  those  that  question  whether  "  the  little 
bird-songs  are  melodies,  are  music." 

The  songs  from  one  to  eleven  are  those  of  various  unknown  songsters. 
Number  three  is  reported  as  exceptional  in  its  sweetness  and  tenderness 
(Lieblichkeit  und  Zartheit),  and  is  sung  in  strict  rhythm,  each  tone  being 
delivered  with  singular  precision.  The  letters  e  and  i,  over  the  notes, 
indicate  the  breathing,  —  exhaling  and  inhaling. 

Number  twelve  is  the  song  of  a  bird  the  colonists  call  the  "  soldier  "  or 
"  leather-head,"  and  is  described  as  containing  in  itself  a  world  of  melan- 

14 


210 

^iTCr^" 

WOOD  NOTES   WILD. 
=-                               7.       e     e      i       e    e     e 

*-  >J  lr  v  •  "  ':r  •-    J  —  J  —  '  —  i  —  J  —  •    _P> 

11.  «r.  tr. 


^E 


12.  Marcato.  marcato. 


y 


choly  (eine  TFe/<  von  Melancholic).    One  can  easily  imagine  the  spell  cast 
by  this  woful,  distinctly  marked  ditty  struck  up  in  the  stillness  of  night. 
See  "  Gartenlaube,"  1867,  pp.  558-9. 


"  For  beauty  and  striking  contrasts  of  plumage,  the  birds  of  Australia 
are  unrivalled,  and  the  idea  that  they  have  no  note  or  song  is  without 
foundation.  In  the  Australian  Bush,  what  is  more  pleasant  than  to  listen 
in  the  early  morning  to  the  flute-like  notes  of  the  piping  Crow-shrike 
( Gymnorhina  tibicen),  and  the  rich  and  varied  natural  notes  of  the  Lyre- 
bird (Menura  superba),  far  excelling  those  of  the  Song-thrush,  and  having 
immense  powers  of  mimicry  and  ventriloquism.  This  power  of  ventrilo- 
quism is  also  possessed  by  the  Atrichias,  and  the  Oreoica,  while  the  cheer- 
ful notes  of  the  Robins,  Fly-catchers,  and  many  others  of  the  smaller  birds 
testify  to  the  fact  that  our  birds  have  both  a  pleasing  note  and  varied 
song." 

Guide  to  the  Contents  of  the  Australian  Museum  (Sydney,  1890),  p.  55. 


WOOD  NOTES   WILD. 


211 


BP3 


WILLIAM  GARDINER. 

(In  "  The  Music  of  Nature/') 


NIGHTINGALE. 


tr. 


3, 


THROSTLE. 


1. 


BLACKBIRD. 


t  f  M^ftrrffrrf 


HEN. 


jft •     •     •     • 

'   t  i  if  r  r- 


212 


WOOD  NOTES   WILD. 


DOG. 


Chained. 


• — ^  *• — —  —         • 


ox. 


I          I 


HORSE. 


1.  In  the  morning. 


FOWLS. 


2.  In  the  evening. 


j        1      IJ     J: 


lfl>     *      I 


3.  COCK. 


4.  BANTAM  COCK. 


WOOD  NOTES  WILD. 


213 


CUCKOO. 


LARK. 


ASS. 


ITna  Corde. 


214 


WOOD  NOTES   WILD. 


A.  G.  JOHNSTON. 

(In  «  Birds  of  Jamaica,"  by  Philip  Henry  Gosse.) 


Sometimes  thus ;  — 


APPENDIX. 


215 


J.    E.    HARTING. 

(In  "  Birds  of  Middlesex.") 


BLACKCAP.    (Sylvia  atricapilla.) 


Passage  in  song  of. 
8va.  alt. 


I 


WILLOW  WARBLER.    (Sylvia  trochilus.p 

J.  V.  Stewart,  in  "Birds  of  the  N.  E.  coast  of  Donegal." 
8va.  alt. 


1  "  Its  song,  if  deserving  of  that  name,  consists  of  ten  whistling  notes, 
which  it  runs  through  the  gamut  of  B,  thus :  [see  notation.]  The  latter 
notes  are  very  soft,  and  run  into  each  other."  —  Quoted  in  Harting,  J.  E. : 
Birds  of  Middlesex,  p.  53. 

Mr.  Harting,  speaking  of  the  methods  of  reproducing  bird-songs,  says : 

"  A  flute  or  flageolet  will  give  the  proper  sound,  but  the  most  perfect 
expression  will  be  obtained  with  a  small  whistle,  two  and  a  half  inches 
long,  and  having  three  perforations.  ...  By  reducing  the  length  of  the 
tube  by  a  stop  or  plug,  the  whistle  may,  by  experiment  with  the  bird,  be  ad- 
justed to  the  exact  pitch,  and  the  stop  be  then  fixed.  —  Harting,  J.  E. :  Birds 
of  Middlesex,  Introduction,  p.  ix. 

"Colonel  Hawker,  in  his  'Instructions  to  Young  Sportsmen'  (llth  ed. 
p.  269),  says :  'The  only  note  which  I  ever  heard  the  wild  swan,  in  winter, 
utter,  is  his  well-known '  whoop.'  But  one  summer  evening  I  was  amused 
with  watching  and  listening  to  a  domesticated  one,  as  he  swam  up  and 
down  the  water  in  the  Regent's  Park.  He  turned  up  a  sort  of  melody, 
made  with  two  notes,  C  and  the  minor  third,  E  flat,  and  kept  working 
his  head  as  if  delighted  with  his  own  performance.  The  melody,  taken 
down  on  the  spot  by  a  first-rate  musician,  Auguste  Bertini,  was  as 
follows :  [See  Notation.] ' 


216  WOOD  NOTES   WILD. 


SWAN. 

Singing  on  the  water  in  Regent's  Park.    (Auguste  Bertini.) 
,    Allegro.  L  ^ 


rr  i  i  -   i  -  -wrrif   i  3 


r 


"The  Abbe*  Arnaud  has  written  some  interesting  remarks  upon  the 
voice  of  the  swan.1  He  says  :  — 

" '  The  swan,  with  his  wings  expanded,  his  neck  outstretched,  and  his 
head  erect,  places  himself  opposite  his  mate,  uttering  a  cry  to  which  the 
female  replies  by  another  half  a  note  lower.  The  voice  of  the  male  rises 
from  A  (la),  to  B  flat  (si  bemol) ;  that  of  the  female  from  G  sharp  (sol 
diese),  to  A.2  The  first  note  is  short  and  transient,  and  has  the  effect 
which  our  musicians  term  sensible ;  so  that  it  is  not  separated  from  the 
second,  but  seems  to  glide  into  it.  Observe  that,  fortunately  for  the  ear, 
they  do  not  both  sing  at  once ;  in  fact,  if,  while  the  male  sounded  B  flat, 
the  female  gave  A,  or  if  the  male  uttered  A  while  the  female  gave  G 
sharp,  there  would  result  the  harshest  and  most  insupportable  of  discords. 
We  may  add  that  this  dialogue  is  subjected  to  a  constant  and  regular 
rhythm,  with  the  measure  of  two  times  (?).  The  keeper  assured  me 
that  during  their  amours,  these  birds  have  a  cry  still  sharper,  but  much 
more  agreeable/  "  —  Harting,  J.  E. :  Ornith.  of  Shakespeare,  pp.  201, 202. 

1  Wood's  "  Buffon,"  vol.  xix.  p.  511,  note. 

*  This,  it  will  be  observed,  differs  materially  from  Colonel  Hawker's 
observation. 


APPENDIX. 


217 


SIR  JOHN  HAWKINS. 

(In  "  History  of  Science  and  Practice  of  Music.") 


BLACKBIRD. 

Part  of  song. 


CUCKOO. 


Cu  -  cu,     cu  » cu,        cu  •  cu. 


PIGRITIA,  OR  SLOTH. 


KlRCHER. 


Ha,      ha,      ha,        ha,        ha,       ha,       ha,      ha,     ha,      ha,     ha. 


HEN- 


After  laying. 


KlRCHEB. 


f 


218 


WOOD  NOTES   WILD. 


ATHANASIUS  KIRCHER. 

(In  "Musurgia.") 


NIGHTINGALE.1 

Glottismi  modvlationum  sibilo  exprimendi  in  Luscinia  observati 

C    E    F    E    bJ  &ri*~S*  &H*^I' 


Pigolismus 


Pigolismus 

1  ...  unde  infero  Lnscinias  uti  ad  cantum  ita  &  ad  loquelam  forman- 
dam  baud  ita  ineptas  esse,  quam  multi  credant ;  atque  adeo  historiam  illam 
de  Lusciniis  in  Augustano  diversorio  Aldrouando  teste,  loquentibus  non 
ita  &5<Wrov  esse,  ac  quispiam  sibi  persaadere  possit ;  imo  omnes  volucres 
quas  natura  harmonioso  cantu  instruxit,  habiles  quoque  easdem  ad  huma- 
nam  vocem  formandam  esse  nihil  dubito. 

Regulus  proxime  sequitur  Lusciniam,  qui  nonnullas  in  formandis 
glottismis  clausulas  mutuat  a  Lnscinia,  etsi  minus  apte  &  celeriter. 
Glottismos  etiara,  sed  semper  eodem  modo  format.  Fringilla,  Acanthis, 
Parix,  Phaenicopterus,  Rubecula,  alauda  &  quotquot  sunt  aves  phonascse, 
quarum  tamen  nulla  ad  earn  modulationum  varietatem,  quam  Luscinia 
exprimit,  pertingit. 

Reliquae  volucres  vocem  quidem  habent  sonoram,  sed  nulla  suprame- 
morata  glottismi  specie  adornatam,  nti  sunt,  Gallus,  Gallina,  Coccyx, 
Hirundo,  Upupa,  Ulula,  Coturnix,  similesque  cum  enim  vox  earum  ad 
hominum  delectationem  non  sit  ordinata,  earn  tantum  vocem,  quae  passio- 
nibus  animi  explicandis  sufficiat,  exprimunt.  Sed  non  abs  re  me  facturum 
existimavi,  si  quarundam  voces  hie  musicis  modulis  referara. 


APPENDIX. 


219 


Teretismus 


Glazismus 


i'a'k'r  r  lr- 


Pigolismus 


c  g  g  g  j 


Glazismus          Chromatico-enharmonicum  nescio  quid  affectans 


Pigolismus 


Glazismus 


Teretismus 


220 


WOOD  NOTES   WILD. 


F.  LESCUYER. 

( In  "  Langage  et  chant  des  oiseaux." 


ROSSIGNOL. 
1.    3  octaves  above. 


J  •  J  J  + 


JExpressivo. 


J  J  J  J  J  "  J  J  J  J  J  J 


J  J  J 


. 


GRIVE  CHANTEUSE, 

2.    2  octaves  above. 


1  "  Quand  on  a  parle  du  rossignol,  il  semble  qn'il  reste  pen  de  choses  a 
dire  des  autres  solistes/'  says  this  anthor;  but  if  his  fantastic  system 
of  notation  is  here  correctly  deciphered  the  charm  of  the  singer  mnst  lie 
in  the  quality  of  tone. 


APPENDIX. 


221 


ALOUETTE  DES  CHAMPS. 


1.    4  octaves  above. 


3.    3  octaves  above.  4.   4  octaves  above. 


5.    3  octaves  above. 

9  J* 


6.   4  octaves  above. 


222 


WOOD  NOTES   WILD. 


ALFRED  SMEE. 

(In  "  My  Garden.") 


THRUSH. 


333 
•     ••••• 


r  r  r  r  r  r  t=t 


m 


tr 


BLACKBIRD. 


L-t 


APPENDIX.  223 

"  The  two  birds  which  really,  upon  the  whole,  are  the  best  songsters 
which  build  in  my  garden,  where  they  exist  in  large  numbers,  are  the 
song  thrush  (Turdus  musicus),  and  the  blackbird  (Turdus  merula). 

"  The  song  thrush  sings  from  November  till  August.  It  is  one  of  our 
most  joyous  songsters,  beginning  to  sing  early  in  the  morning  and  con- 
tinuing till  late  at  night.  The  poet  Browning,  speaking  of  this  bird, 
says : — 

'  The  wise  thrush 

sings  each  song  twice  over, 

Lest  you  should  think  he  never  could  recapture 
The  first  fine  careless  rapture.' 

"  The  blackbird  has  a  far  softer  and  more  melodious  note  than  the 
thrush ;  but  the  note  of  the  latter  bird  is  more  powerful,  and  his  song 
more  constant.  Together  they  form  a  delightful  harmony,  but  they 
more  commonly  sing  alone  than  together.  This  country  would  be  shorn 
of  half  its  pleasure  if  we  were  deprived  of  the  notes  of  the  thrush  and 
the  blackbird. 

"Although  birds  delight  us  with  their  song,  yet  in  my  intercourse  with 
musical  men  I  have  found  but  few  that  have  the  power  of  recording 
their  notes.  I  therefore  requested  my  brother,  Mr.  F.  Smee,  to  visit  my 
garden  and  endeavor  to  take  down  the  notes  of  the  birds  as  they  sang. 
He  reported  that  some  of  their  musical  phrases  were  in  the  minor  key, 
and  I  have  printed  several  of  the  strophes  as  they  were  sung."  —  Smee, 
Alfred :  My  Garden,  pp.  550-553. 


224 


WOOD  NOTES   WILD. 


DR.  F.  WEBER. 

(In  "Longman's  Magazine,"  vol.  ix.,  Feb.  1887,  pp.  399,  400.) 


WIND. 


1.  Over  the  roof  of  a  house. 


dim  -  in  -  u  -  en  -  do. 


\f   f    .  1 

IflM   r  1 

-I    J  \  J    gi 

-M  —  E  f            —  Ml 

2.  WalUng. 


r  r  r  p  r  r  f 


cow. 


Barking. 


M  -  o  -  o,     M  -  o  -  o. 


DOG. 


t 


DONKEY. 

Tit.  dim  -  in  -  u  -  en  -  do. 


tj  fj  L  L 


APPENDIX. 


HORSE. 


225 


CAT. 


2,  When  excited. 


COCK. 

/   J    ^^f     y   ILJ  =¥ 
?    iry.  =± 


15 


226 


WOOD  NOTES    WILD. 


ANNA   HINRICHS. 

(Summer's  Natural  Orchestra,  in  "  The  Popular  Science  News," 
vol.  xxv.  no.  ix.,  September,  1891.) 


COCK  CHAFFER. 


»   j  J 


Death-watch  CaR 


Answer. 


i 


J  J  J-J  J  J  J  J  I. T|| 


CRICKET. 


BUMBLE-BEE. 


HOUSE-FLY. 


I  ^     J,JJ,J  I  rJ 


rrr 


GNAT. 


m 


BIBLIOGRAPHY. 


BIBLIOGKAPHY. 


*  Indicates  that  the  volume  or  article  has  not  been  examined  by  the  editor. 
**  Indicates  that  the  volume  or  article  contains  notations. 


*  Aaron,  S.  F.     Odd  Bird  Songs.     (Ornithologist  and  Oologisi,  vol.  viii., 

April,  1883,  p.  28.) 

Abbott,  C.  C.    Outings  at  Odd  Times.    N.  Y.,  1890. 
Waste-land  Wanderings  (Song  of  Eels  and  Fishes),  pp.  300-301. 

N.  Y.,  1887. 

Agassiz,  L.,  and  Gould,  A.  A.    Principles  of  Zoology.    Boston,  1866. 
Allen,  C.  N.    Songs  of  Western  Meadow  Lark.     (In  Nuttall  Ornitho- 
logical Club.     Bulletin,  July,  1881.) 
Allen,  G.    ./Esthetic  Feeling  in  Birds.     (Pop.  Sci.  Mo.,  vol.  xvii.,  Sept., 

1880,  pp.  653-654.) 

Ancestry  of  Birds.    (Longman's  Mag.,  vol.  iii.,  Jan.,  1884,  pp.  284-298. ) 

* Physiological  ^Esthetics.    London,  1877. 

Allen,  J.  A.    Notes  on  Some  of  the  Rarer  Birds  of  Mass.     (Amer. 

Naturalist,  vol.  v.,  Dec.,  1869,  pp.  509-510.) 
American  Museum  of  Natural  History,  N.  Y.    Bulletins. 
Amory,  Catherine.     Birds  in  May.     (Swiss  Cross,  vol.  iii.,  no.  6,  p.  1.) 

Birds  in  Wood  and  Field.     (Swiss  Cross,  vol.  iv.,  1888,  no.  6,  p.  162.) 

Animal  Love  of  Music.     (Harp.  Mag.,  vol.  xv.,  1857,  pp.  83-85.) 
Animals,  The  Influence  of  Music  on  the  Lower.     (All  the  Year,  N.  s. 

vol.  xxx.,  Dec.,  1882,  p.  538.) 
Aristophanes.     Comedies ;  with  notes  by  W.  J.  Hickie.    2  vols.     (The 

Birds,  in  vol.  i.),  London,  1877-78. 
Asbury,  Alice.     Master-singers  of  Germany.     ( Western  Mo.,  vol.  ii., 

1869,  pp.  272-276.) 

Audubon,  J.  J.    Birds  of  America.    7  vols.    N.  Y.,  1840-44. 
Auk,  The :  a  quarterly  journal  of  ornithology,  ed.  by  J.  A.  Allen,  Boston. 
Austin,  G.  L.    Friendship  of  Birds.     (Appleton's  Journal,  N.  s.  vol.  iii. 

p.  161.) 

Australian  Museum,  Guide  to  the  Contents  of,  p.  55.    Sydney,  1890. 
Axon,  W.  E.  A.    Voice  of  Animals.    (British  Almanac,  1885,  pp.  104-1 14.) 
Bally,  W.  L.    Our  Own  Birds  (U.  S.).    Phila.,  1885. 


230  WOOD  NOTES   WILD. 

Baird,  S.  F.,  ed.    Ann.  Record  of  Science,  1877.    (See  pp.  282-309.) 
Baird,  Brewer,  and  Ridgway.     Hist,  of  N.  American  Birds,    5  vols. 

Boston,  1874. 

Banvard,  J.    Curious  Habits  of  Birds.    Boston,  1850. 
*Barrington,  D.   Experiments  and  Observations  on  the  Singing  of  Birds. 

(Roy.  Soc.  of  London.    Phil.  Trans.,  vol.  Ixiii.,  1773,  pp.  249-291.) 

Language  of  Birds,  The.     (In  Pennant's  British  Zoology,  vol.  iii.) 

Bates,  H.  W.    The  Naturalist  on  the  River  Amazons.    4th  ed.    London, 

1875. 
Bechstein,  J.  M.     Chamber  and  Cage  Birds  (Introduction).     Tr.  by 

W.  E.  Shuckard.    London,  n.  d. 
**Beckler,  D.  H.,  in  Gartenlaube,  1867. 
**Belding,  L.     Small  Thrushes  of  California.     (California  Acad.  of 

Science.    Proceedings,  vol.  ii.  1889.) 
Bicknell,  E.  P.     A  Study  of  the  Singing  of  our  Birds.     (The  Auk, 

vol.  L,  1884,  pp.  60,  126,  209,  322;  vol.  ii.,  1885,  pp.  144,  249). 
Bird  Lore.   (All  the  Year  Round,  N.  s.  voL  xx.,  May  11, 1878,  pp.  365-370.) 
Bird  Music.     (Littett's  Liv.  Age,  vol.  xxix.,  1851,  p.  312.) 

*  Bird  Singing  at  Night.     (Naturalist's  Note-book,  1868,  p.  252.) 
Birds.     (North  British  Review,  vol.  xxx.,  1859,  pp.  325-327.) 

*  Birds  of  Switzerland.     (Naturalist's  Note-book,  1868,  p.  1.) 

Birds  of  the  Levant.     (Eclectic  Mag.,  N.  s.  vol.  vii.,  1868,  pp.  114-119.) 
Birds'  Tastes  for  Color  and  Music.    (Pop.  Set.  Mo.,  vol.  xxv.,  Sept., 

1884,  pp.  715-716.) 

Birmingham,  J.    Notes  of  the  Cuckoo.     (Nature,  vol.  xxii.,  1 880,  p.  76. ) 
*Blackwall,  J.     Bemerkungen  iiber  den  Vogelgesang.      In  Notizen 

aus  dem  Gebiete  der  Natur  u.  Heilknnde  (Erfurt  u.  Weimar),  vol. 

xL,  1825,  pp.  292-296. 
* Catalogue  of  Singing  Birds,  with  the  time  of  their  beginning  and 

ceasing  to  sing. — Also,  of  the  Cuckoo.     (/»  Manchester  Lit.  and 

Philos.  Soc.    Memoirs,  2d  ser.,  voL  iv.) 

Same  abridged.     (In  Good,  J.  M.,  The  Book  of  Nature,  1849,  p.  189.) 

* (In  Philos.  Mag.  and  Journal,  London,  vol.  Ixvi.,  July,  1825). 

See  Notes  of  Birds.    (Amer.  Jown.  of  Set.  and  Art ;  ed.  by  B.  Silliman, 

vol.  x.,  1882,  p.  390.) 

* Researches  in  Zoology.    London,  1834. 

Blanchard,  E.    Voice  in  Man  and  in  Animals.     (Pop-  Sci.  Mo.,  vol.  ix., 

Aug.  and  Sept.,  1876,  pp.  385-398,  513-523.) 
Bonnier,  P.    Hearing  in  the  Lower  Animals.    (Pop.  Sci.  Mo.,  vol.  xxxix., 

Oct.  1891,  pp.  832-837.)     From  Revue  Scientifique. 
Boyle,  Mrs.  E.  V.  (G.)    Days  and  Hours  in  a  Garden.    By  «  E.  V.  B." 

Boston,  1884. 


APPENDIX.  231 

Brand,  J.    Observations  on  Popular  Antiquities.   Rev.  ed.  London,  1877. 

Brehm,  A.  C.     Gefangene  Vogel.     2  vols.    Leipzig,  1871. 

*Brehm  and  Hausmann.   Journal  fur  Ornithologie,  1855,  pp.  348-351 ; 

1856,  pp.  250-255. 

* In  Naumania.     1855,  pp.  54,  96,  181. 

*Brimley,  C.  S.    Mocking-bird.     (Ornithologist  and  Oologist,  vol.  xiii., 

Aug.,  1888,  p.  117.) 

British  Song-birds,  Treatise  on.    Illus.    Edinburgh,  1823. 
Broderip,  W.  J.    Zoological  Recreations.    London,  1862. 
Buckland,  F.    Log-book  of  a  Fisherman  and  Zoologist.    London,  1875. 
Natural  Trumpet  of  the  Crane.     (Pop.  Sci.  Mo.,  vol.  ix.,  1876,  pp. 

137-140.) 
Button,  G.  L.  L.,  Comte  de.    History  of  Birds.     10  vols.  (Nat.  Hist., 

vols.  x.-xx.)    London,  1812. 
Buist,  Dr.    Bombay  Times,  Jan.,  1847  ;  Feb.  13,  1849. 

*  Burgh,  A.    Anecdotes  of  Music.    3  vols.    London,  1814. 
Burritt,  E.    English  and  American  Birds.    16  pp.     (In  Life  and  Labors 

of  E.  Burritt,  ed.  by  C.  Northend,  p.  311.) 
Burroughs,  J.    Birds  and  Poets,  with  other  Papers.    N.  Y.,  1878. 

Signs  and  Seasons.    Boston,  1890. 

Wake-robin.    2d  ed.    Boston,  1881. 

Cabot,  J.  E.    Our  Birds,  and  their  Ways.    (Atlantic  Monthly,  vol.  i.,  1857, 

p.  211.) 

California  Academy  of  Sciences.    Proceedings. 
California   Songsters.     (Overland  Monthly,  vol.  xiv.,  June,  1875,  pp. 

562-568.) 

Charm  of  Birds,  A.     (Eraser's  Mag.,  vol.  Ixxv.,  June,  1867,  p.  802.) 
Church,  Mrs.  E.  R.    Birds  and  their  Ways.    Phila.,  1884. 

*  Clark,  J.  W.     Hooded  Warblers.     ( Ornithologist  and  Oologist,  vol.  vi., 

April,  1881,  p.  9  ;  Nov.,  1881,  p.  72.) 
Clark,  X.    Animal  Music :  its  Nature  and  Origin.     (Am.  Nat.,  vol.  xiii., 

April,  1879,  pp.  209-223.) 

**Coleman,  A.  P.    Music  in  Nature.     (Nature,  vol.  xxxvi.,  1887,  p.  605.) 
Cooper,  J.  G.    Land-birds  of  California  and  Adjacent  States  and  Terri- 
tories.   Ed.  by  S.  F.  Baird.     (Cal.  Geol.  Survey,  vol.  i. :  Ornithology.) 

Cambridge,  Mass.,  1870. 
Corwin,  Ship.    Cruise  of  the  Revenue-steamer  Corwin  in  Alaska  and 

the  N.  W.  Arctic  Ocean.     (U.  S.  Pub.  Docs.  Ho.  ofRepr.  47th  Cong., 

2d  sess.  Ex.  Docs.,  No.  105.) 

Coues,  Dr.  E.    Birds  of  the  North-west.    Boston,  1877. 
Crowest,  F.  J.    Musical  Groundwork.     (See  Preliminary.)     London, 

etc.,  1890. 


232  WOOD  NOTES   WILD. 

*  Cunz,   B.     Die   Singvogel  der  Ver.   Staaten    Nordamerika's.     (Die 

Natur,  vol.  xx.,  1871,  pp.  279-280.) 
Darwin,  C.    The  Descent  of  Man.    2d  ed.    1875. 

Journal  of  Researches  into  the  Nat.  Hist.,  etc.    N.  Y.,  1876. 

Darwin,  F.    Life  and  Letters  of  C.  Darwin,  vol.  ii.    N.  Y.,  1887. 
Davis,  W.  T.    The  Song  of  the  Singing  Mouse.     (American  Naturalist, 

vol.  xxiii.,  1889,  pp.  481-484.) 
*De  Kay,  J.  E.   Zoology  of  New  York.     5  vols.    (Vol.  i. :  Birds.) 

Albany,  1842-44. 

Domestic  Habits  of  Birds.  (Lib.  of  entertaining  knowledge.)  London,  1833. 
Domestic  Occurrences,  Sat.,  Oct.  9.     (Gentleman's  Mag.,  vol.  Ixxii., 

part  2,  1802,  p.  967.) 
Edwards,  W.  H.    A  Singing  Mouse.     (American  Naturalist,  vol.  iii., 

1870,  p.  551.) 

Encyclopaedia  Britannica.    Am.  reprint,  vol.  iii.,  p.  629.    Birds. 
Encyclopaedia  Perthensis,  vol.  iii.    Edin.,  1816. 
Evans,  Rev.  W.  E.     The  Songs  of  the  Birds ;  or,  Analogies  of  Animal 

and  Spiritual  Life.    London,  1888. 
Fish,  E.  E.    Birds'  Tastes  for  Color  and  Music.     (Pop.  Sci.  Mo.,  vol. 

xxv.,  1884,  pp.  715-716.) 
**Flagg,  W.    Birds  of  the  Night.    (Atlantic  Monthly,  vol.  iv.,  Aug.,  1859, 

pp.  171-184.) 
** The  Birds  of  the  Pasture  and  Forest.     (Atlantic  Monthly,  vol.  ii., 

Dec.,  1858,  pp.  863-875.) 
Songs  and  Eccentricities  of  Birds.    (Atlantic  Monthly,  vol.  xliv.,  Sept., 

1879,  pp.  349-356.) 
The  Winter-birds.     (Atlantic  Monthly,  vol.  iii.,  March,  1859,  pp.  319- 

329.) 

** A  Year  with  the  Birds.    Boston,  1890.     (Same  as  Birds  and  Sea- 
sons of  New  England.    Boston,  1875.) 

Fletcher,  W.  I.,  ed.    The  Co-operative  Index  to  Periodicals  (1884-1890). 
Forbes,  H.  O.      Sound-producing  Ants.     (Nature,  vol.  xxiv.,  1881,  pp. 

101-102.) 

Forbes,  Maj.  J.    Eleven  Years  in  Ceylon.    London,  1840. 
Forest  and  Stream.    (Weekly.)    New  York. 
Fowler,  W.  W.    A  Year  with  the  Birds.    3d  ed.    London,  1889. 
Francheschiui,  R.    Musical  Insects.    5  pp.    (Pop.  Sci.  Mo.,  vol.  xxxix., 

Sept.,  1891.) 
Funk,  N.    Glockengeliiute  im  Walde.    (Gartenlaube,  1875,  pp.  527-530.) 

*  Gainborg,  Dr.    How  can  we  improve  the  Song  of  our  Wild  Birds  ? 

Copenhagen,  1800. 
*»  Gardiner,  W.    The  Music  of  Nature.    Boston,  1838. 


APPENDIX.  233 

Gartenlaube,  Die.    Elustrirtes  Familienblatt.    Leipzig. 
Gassendi,  P.    Vita  Peireskii.     (Opera  Omnia,  vol.  v.)     Florentia,  1727. 
*»  Gefiederte  Welt,  Die.    Ed.  by  Dr.  Russ,  Berlin. 
*Gibbs,  Dr.  M.     Song  of  the  Golden-crowned  Thrush.     (Ornithologist 
and  Oologist,  vol.  x.,  Dec.,  1885,  p.  191.) 

*  Giraud,  J.  P.,  Jr.     Birds  of  Long  Island.    N.  Y.,  1844. 

Good,  J.  M.    In  his  Book  of  Nature,  vol.  i.,  p.  189.     Hartford,  1853. 
Goodwin,  W.  L.    Music  in  Nature.    (Nature,  vol.  xxxvii.,  1887-88,  pp. 

151-152.) 
Gosse,  P.  H.    Birds  of  Jamaica.    London,  1847. 

Romance  of  Nat.  Hist.    Boston,  1862. 

Goulding,  F.  K.     Brute-language.     (Appleton's  Journal,  vol.  x.   pp. 

332-335.) 
Grab ame,  Rev.  J.    Birds  of  Scotland,  with  other  poems.    Boston,  1807. 

*  Greene,  Dr.  W.  T.     The  Birds  in  my  Garden.     London  (Rel.  Tr. 

Soc.),  1889. 

Griswold,  W.  M.,  pub.    Cumulative  Indexes  (annual).    Bangor. 
Haldeman,  S.  S.    Note  on  Animal  Music.    (Amer.  Nat.,  vol.  xiii.,  July, 

1879,  p.  454.) 

Hamerton,  P.  G.    Chapters  on  Animals.    London,  1874. 
Hamilton,  E.    Wild-bird  Life  in  London,  past  and  present.     (Litt.  Liv. 

Age,  vol.  clxxxi.,  1889,  p.  673.) 

Hamm,  W.     Die  Vogelsprache.      (Die  Gartenlaube,  1866,  p.  705.) 
Hardy,  J.  Popular  History  of  the  Cuckoo.    45  pp.     (Folk-lore  Soc.,  vol. 

iii.  p.  47.) 
**Harting,  J.  E.    The  Birds  of  Middlesex.    London,  1866. 

** The  Ornithology  of  Shakespeare.    London,  1871. 

**  Hawkins,  Sir  J.   General  History  of  the  Science  and  Practice  of  Music. 

2  vols.    London,  1875. 
Helmholtz,  H.  L.  F.     The  Sensations  of  Tone  as  a  Physiological  Basis 

for  the  Theory  of  Music.    Tr.  by  A.  J.  Ellis.     London,  1875. 
**  Henderson,  W.  J.  The  Sportsman's  Music.   ( The  Century,  vol.  xxxiv., 

July,  1887,  pp.  413-417.) 

Herissant,  ( ).    Inquiry  concerning  the  Organs  of  Voice  in  Quadru- 
peds and  Birds.  In  Memoirs  of  the  Roy.  Acad.  at  Paris.   ( Gentleman's 

Mag.,  vol.  xxix.,  1759,  pp.  119-120.) 
Hibberd,  S.     Minstrels  of  the  Spring  (English).     (Intellectual  Observer, 

vol.  iii.,  March,  1863,  pp.  112-119.) 
The  Minstrels  of  the  Summer  (English).     (Intellectual  Observer,  vol. 

ii.,  Aug.,  1862,  pp.  18-28.) 
Minstrels  of  the  Winter  (English).     (Intellectual  Observer,  vol.  r., 

Feb.,  1864,  pp.  17-25.) 


234  WOOD  NOTES   WILD. 

Higginson,  T.  W.    The  Life  of  Birds.      (Atlantic  Monthly,  vol.  x.,  Sept., 

1862,  pp.  368-376.) 

Out-door  Papers.    Boston,  1886. 

**  Hinrichs,  Miss  Anna.    Summer's  Natural  Orchestra.    2  pp.  (Pop.  Sci. 

News,  vol.  xxv.,  Sept.,  1891.) 
**  Horsf ord,  B.     Our  Wood  Thrushes.     (Forest  and  Stream,  vol.  xviii., 

May  25,  1882.) 

*  Howell,  A.  H.    Song  of  the  Brown  Thrasher.     ( Ornithologist  and  Odlo- 

gist,  vol.  xiii.,  July,  1888,  p.  105.) 

*  Hoxie,  W.     My  Mocking-birds.     ( Ornithologist  and  Oologist,  vol.  xii., 

Sept.,  1887,  p.  146.) 
Hudson,  W.  H.    Music  and  Dancing  in  Nature.     (Longman's  Mag.,  vol. 

xv.,  1890,  pp.  597-610.) 
South  American  Bird-music.      (Nature,  vol.  xxxiii.,  Dec.  31,  1885, 

pp.  199-201.) 

Ibis  :  a  magazine  of  general  ornithology ;  ed.  by  P.  L.  Slader.    London. 
Ingersoll,  E.    Friends  worth  Knowing.    N.  Y.,  1881. 
** A  Summer  Bird.     (Harper's  Mag.,  vol.  liii.,  Sept.,  1876,  pp.  514- 

518.) 
Ingersoll,  E.,  and  others.    Habits  of  Animals.    Chicago. 

*  Insect  Music.     In  Landois'  Das  Ausland,  vol.  xliii.,  1870,  pp.  429-430. 
Jaeger,  B.    Life  of  N.  American  Insects.    N.  Y.,  1864. 

*  Jefferies,  R,    Field  and  Hedgerow.     N.  Y.,  1890. 
Wild  Life  in  a  Southern  County.    Boston,  1889. 

Jesse,  E.    Favorite  Haunts  and  Rural  Studies.    London,  1847. 
Scenes  and  Occupations  of  Country  Life.    London,  1853. 

*  Journ.  fur  Ornithologie.     (Cassel)  vol.  iii.,  1855,  p.  348 ;  1856,  p.  250. 
Keeler,  C.  A.     Song-birds  ahout  San  Francisco  Bay.    (Zoe,  vol.  i.,  1891, 

pp.  116-120.) 

** Songs  of  some  Calif ornian  Zonotrichise.     (Zoe,  vol.  i.,  1891,  pp. 

72-74.) 

*  Kennedy,  ( ).    In  N.  Abhandl.  baier  Akad.   (Phil  Abhandl.)   1797, 

p.  169. 
Kingsley,  C.    A  Charm  of  Birds.   (Eraser's  Mag.,  vol.  Ixxv.,  June,  1867, 

p.  802.) 
**Kircher,  A.    Musurgia  Universalis.  Lib.  i.  cap.  xiv.  §5,  p.  30.  Romas, 

1590. 

Knapp,  J.  L.    The  Journal  of  a  Naturalist.    4th  ed.    London,  1838. 
Knight,  F.  A.    By  Leafy  Ways.    Boston,  1889. 

Idylls  of  the  Field.    Boston,  1890. 

Laboulbene,  Dr.  A.    Musical  Organs  of  a  Moth   (Chelonia  pudica). 

(Ann.  Soc.  Entom.  de  France,  vol.  iv.  p.  689  et  seq.,  4e  ser.) 


APPENDIX.  235 

*  Landois,  H.    In  Das  Ausland,  vol.  xliii.,  1870,  pp.  429-430. 
* Thierstimmen.    Freiburg,  1874. 

* Die  Ton-  u.  Stiminapparate  der  Insecten  in  anatomisch-physiolog- 

ischer  u.  akustischer  Beziehung.    Leipzig,  1867. 

* Westfalens  Thierleben  in  Wort  u.  Bild.   2  Bde.   Paderborn,  1884-86. 

**  Leach,  Dr.  M.  L.    Song  of  the  White-throated  Sparrow.    (Swiss 

Cross,  vol.  iii.,  May,  1888,  pp.  144-145.) 
** The   Song  of  the  White-throated  Sparrow.     (Forest  and  Stream, 

vol.  xxiv.,  Feb.  19,  1885,  p.  65.) 

Lee,  H.     Singing  Mice.     (Pop.  Sci.  Mo.,  vol.  xiv.,  1878,  p.  102.) 
Leopardi,  G.    Panegyric  of  Birds.  — The  Song  of  the  Wild  Cock.     (In 

his  Essays  and  Dialogues ;  tr.  by  C.  Edwardes,  pp.  144-151.) 
Le  Page  du  Pratz,  ( ).     History  of  Louisiana.    2  vols.    London, 

1763. 
**  JLescuyer,  F.    Langage  et  Chant  des  Oiseaux.    Paris,  1878. 

*  LeVaillant,  F.    Histoire  naturelle  des  Oiseaux  d'Afrique.     6  vols. 

Paris,  1798-1812. 

Lewis,  E.  J.    The  American  Sportsman.    Philadelphia,  1879. 
Lindsay,  Lady  A.    About  Kobins :  Songs,  Facts,  and  Legends.    N.  Y., 

1889. 

Lindsay,  W.  L.    Mind  in  the  Lower  Animals.    2  vols.    N.  Y.,  1880. 
**Lockwood,  Rev.  S.    A  Singing  Hesperomys.     (Amer.  Nat.,  vol.  v., 

1871,  p.  761.) 

Lost  Hunter.    Published  by  Derby  and  Jackson,  about  1855. 
Lowell,  J.  R.    My  Garden  Acquaintance.     (Modem  Classics.)    Boston, 

cop.  1871. 

Lucretius  Carus,  T.    Lib.  v.  line  1417. 
Lunt,  H.    Across  Lots.    Boston,  cop.  1888. 
Lyf ord,  Prof.  A.  C.    The  Greek  Poets  and  the  Birds.    (Education,  vol.  xi. 

no.  8,  April,  1891.) 
Macgillivray,  W.    History  of  British  Birds.    5  vols.    (See  vol.  ii.  p.  34.) 

London,  1837-52. 
**Macy,  C.    An  Operatic  Bird.     (The  Swiss  Cross,  vol.  ii.,  Aug.,  1887, 

p.  64.) 

*  Martin,  W.  C.  L.    In  his  Gen.  Introduction  to  Nat.  Hist,  of  the  Mam- 

miferous  Animals  (London,  1841),  p.  432. 
**  Mayer,  A.  M.,  ed.    Sport  with  Gun  and  Rod. 
*Maynard,  C.  J.    Birds  of  Eastern  North  America.    N.  Y.,  1882. 
Das  Briillen  der  amerikanischen  Rohrdommel.     (Ornith.  Monats- 

schrifi  des  deutschen  Vereins  z.  Schutze  der  Vogelwelt,  vol.  xv.  no.  9, 

pp.  242-254.) 
Merriam,  F.  A.    Birds  through  an  Opera  Glass.    Boston,  1889. 


236  WOOD  NOTES   WILD. 

*  Meyer,  A.  B.,  and  Helm  F.    Jahresberichte  der  ornithologischen  Beo- 

bachtungstationen  im  Konigreich  Sachsen. 
•Michelet,  J.    L'oiseau.    5e  ed.    Paris,  1858. 
Miller,  O.  T.    Bird-ways.    Boston,  1885. 
Mimicry  of  Birds.     (Nature,  vol.  xvii.,  1878,  p.  438.) 
Minot,  H.  D.    English  Birds  compared   with  American.     (American 

Naturalist,  vol.  xiv.,  1880,  p.  563.) 
The  Land-birds  and  Game-birds  of  New  England.    Illus.    Salem, 

Mass.,  1877. 
Mivart,  St.  G.    Lessons  from  Nature,  as  manifested  in  Mind  and  Matter. 

London,  1876. 

*  Montagu,  Col.  G.    In  Ornithological  Dictionary.     1833,  p.  475. 
Miiller,  J.     Researches  in  the  Comparative  Anatomy  of  the  Vocal 

Organs  of  Birds.     (Berlin  Acad.,  1845,  and  Ann.  and  Mag.  of  Nat. 

Hist.,  vol.  xvii.  p.  499.) 
Miiller,  K.     Ein  Lieblingsvogel  des  Volkes.     (Gartenlaube,  1876,  p. 

700.) 
Munger,  C.  A.    Four  American  Birds.     (Putnam's  Mag.,  N.  s.  vol.  iii., 

1869,  pp.  728-729.) 

*  Murdoch,  J.  B.    Black  Partridge  calling,  perched  on  a  Tree.     (Stray 

Feathers,  vol.  x.,  1881,  p.  169.) 

Music,  Animal  Love  of.     (Harp.  Mag.,  vol.  xv.,  1857,  pp.  83-85.) 
Music  in  Speech.     (Litt.  Liv.  Age,  vol.  1.,  1856,  p.  228.) 
Music  in    the    Mammoth    Cave.      (Litt.  Liv.  Age,  vol.  Ixviii.,   1861, 

p.  284.) 

Music  of  the  Wild.     (Litt.  Liv.  Age,  vol.  xxi.,  1849,  pp.  475-476.) 
**  Music,  On.     (New  Monthly  Mag.,  vol.  vii.,  1823,  p.  303.) 
Music  on  the  Lower  Animals,  The  Influence  of.     ( All  the  Year,  N.  8.  vol. 

xxx.,  Dec ,  1882,  p.  538.) 

Music,  Phenomena  of.     (Eclec.  Mag.,  N.  8.  vol.  ix.,  1869,  pp.  368-372.) 
Musical  Fishes.     (Pop.  Sci.  Mo.,  vol.  xxiii.,  Aug.,  1883,  p.  571.) 
Musicians  of  our  Woods.     (Harp.  Mag.,  vol.  xix.,  1859,  pp.  323-327.) 
Musikalischen  Insecten  (Die),  und  ihre  Instrumente.     (Gartenlaube, 

1872,  pp.  698-699.) 

Natural  History  of  Birds.     Harper  &  Bros.     N.  Y.,  1 840. 
Natural    History  of    English    Song-birds.     Copied  from  Nature  by 

E.  Albin.   London,  1779. 

*  Naumann,  J.  F.    Zwei  Arten  Singschwane  in  Deutschland.     (Archiv 

fur  Naturgeschichte.    4.  Jahrg.  Bd.  i.,  1838,  p.  361.) 
Nehrling,  H.    North  Amer.  Birds.    Part  i.,  1889.    Milwaukee,  Wis. 
Nelson,  E.  W.    Birds  of  Bering  Sea  and  the  Arctic  Ocean.     (U.  S.  Pub. 

Docs.     Cruise  of  Corwin,  1881.) 


APPENDIX.  237 

Nelson,  H.  L.    Bird-songs  about  Worcester.    Boston,  1889. 

New    Monthly    Magazine,  vol.  xxi.  part  iii.  June  1,   1872,  p.  269 

(Somersetshire). 
*New  York  Law  on  Song-birds.     (Ornithologist  and  Odlogist,  vol.  xi., 

Nov.,  1886,  p.  169.) 

Nicols,  A.    Snakes,  Marsupials,  and  Birds.    London,  n.  d. 
Nightingale  (Motacilla  luscinia),  The.     (Litt.  Liv.  Age,  vol.  xxv.,  1850, 

pp.  273-278.) 

Nightingale,  The.     (Litt.  Liv.  Age,  vol.  xlii.,  1854,  pp.  612-614.) 
Notes  and  Queries.    London,  1850-91. 
Notes  of  Birds.     (Am.  Journal  of  Science  and  Arts,  vol.  x.,  Feb.,  1826, 

pp.  390-391.) 
Nuttall,  T.    Manual  of  Ornithology  of  the  U.  S.  and  Canada.    2d  ed. 

(Land-Birds,  pp.  510-511.)    Boston,  1840. 
Nuttall  Ornithological  Club.     Bulletins.    N.  Y. 
Nutting,  C.  C.    On  a  Collection  of  Birds  from  Nicaragua.    (U.  S.  Nat. 

Mus.  Proceedings,  vol.  vi.,  1883.) 
Obituary  of  Considerable  Persons.     ( Gentleman's  Mag.,  vol.  Ivii.  part  ii., 

1787,  p.  1197.) 
Oppel,  Prof.,  of  Frankfurt  on  Main.    Uber  Vogelstimmen,  etc.     (Der 

zoologische  Garten,  vol.  xii.,  Feb.,  1871.) 
Ornithologist  and  Oologist.    An  original  magazine  devoted  to  birds, 

their  nests  and  eggs.    Ed.  and  pub.  by  J.  M.  Wade.    Norwich,  Conn. 

Cf.  The  Oologist. 

Our  Birds.     (New  England  Mag.,  vol.  i.,  1831,  p.  227.) 
Our  Feathered  Immigrants.     The   West  Shore  (Pub.  in  Portland, 

Ore.),  March,  1889,  no.  3,  p.  115. 
Owen,  Sir  R.    Anat.  of  Vertebrates,  vol.  iii.  p.  600. 
*Paolluci,  Prof.  L.    II  canto  degli  uccelli,  p.  130.    Milano,  1878. 
Peal,  S.  E.    Sound-producing  Ants.     (Nature,  vol.  xxiv.,  1881,  p.  485.) 

Sounds  made  by  Ants.     (Nature,  vol.  xxii.,  1880,  p.  583.) 

Voice  in  Fish.     (Nature,  vol.  xxi.,  Nov.,  1879,  p.  55.) 

Phenomena  of  Music.     (Eclec.  Mag.,  N.  s.  vol.  ix.,  1869,  pp.  368-372.) 
Placzek,  Dr.  B.     Why  Birds  sing.     (Pop.  Sci.  Mo.,  vol.  xxvi.,  April, 

1885,  pp.  541-546.) 
Plinius  Secundus,  C.     Natural  History,  book  x.  chap,  xliii.,  The 

Nightingale. 

**  Pole,  W.    Music  in  Nature.     (Nature,  vol.  xxxvi.,  1887,  p.  343.) 
Pollard,  J.    Favorite  Birds,  and  what  the  Poets  sing  of  them.    N.  Y., 

1888. 
Pontecoulant,  A.  Marquis  de.    Les  Phenomencs  de  la  Musique.     (Lib. 

Internationale.)    Paris,  1868. 


238  WOOD  NOTES   WILD. 

Poole,  Dr.  W.  F.    Index  to  Periodical  Literature  to  Jan.  1,1882.    Boston. 
and  Fletcher,  W.  I.    Same.     Supplement  1882-86.    Boston,  1888. 

(For  continuation  see  before,  under  Fletcher,  W.  I.) 
R.,  M.  H.    Songs  of  Birds.     (Notes  and  Queries,  3d  ser.,  voL  xii.,  Aug.  3, 

1867.) 

*  Rainey,  H.  J.     Cries  of  Owls.     (Stray  Feathers,  vol.  iii.,  1875,  p.  332.) 
Rhoads,  S.  N.     The  Mimetic  Origin  and  Development  of  Bird  Lan- 
guage.    (American  Naturalist,  voL  xxiii.,  1889,  pp.  91-102.) 

Ridgway,  R.    A  Manual  of  North  American  Birds.    Phila.,  1887. 
Song  Birds  of  the  West.     (Harper's  Mag.  vol.  Ivi.,  May,  1878,  pp. 

857-880.) 

Romanes,  G.  J.    Animal  Intelligence.    N.  Y.,  1883. 
Royal  Society  of  London.    Philosophical  Transactions.     1665  to  1891. 
Samuels,  E.  A.    Our  Northern  and  Eastern  Birds.    N.  Y.,  1883. 
*Saunders,  W.  E.    Blue-bird  as  a  Mimic.     (Ornithologist  and  Oologistt 

voL  xii.,  April,  1887,  p.  61.) 
*Savart,  (  — ).     In  Froriep,  L.  T.  v.     Notizen  aus  dem  Gebiete  der 

Natur  und  Heilkunde.     1826,  pp.  1,  20. 
*Saxby,  H.  L.    Notes  upon  the  Migration  and  Song  of  the  Skylark. 

(Zodlogist,  Tol.  xx.,  1862,  no.  8281.) 
Schele  de  Vere,  M.  R.  B.    Music  in  Nature.    (Putnam's  Mag.,  N.  s.  vol. 

vi.,  1870,  pp.  173-182.) 

—  Stray  Leaves  from  the  Book  of  Nature.    N.  Y.,  1856. 
Scudder,  S.  H.    The  Songs  of  the  Grasshoppers.     (American  Naturalist, 

vol.  ii.,  1868,  p.  113.) 

*  Seebohm,  H.    Geographical  Distribution  of  the  Family  Charadriidse. 

London,  1887. 

Sharpe,  R.  B.    Birds  in  Nature.    London,  1888. 

Sidebotham,  J.    Singing  Mice.     (Nature,  vol.  xvii.,  1877,  p.  29.) 

Singing  of  the  Mice.     (Nature,  voL  xvi.,  1877,  p.  558.) 

Skelding,  S.  B.,  ed.    Bird-songs  Series.     6  vols.    N.  Y.,  1886-87. 

Slater,  H.  H.    Singing  Mice.     (Nature,  voL  xvii.,  1877,  p.  11.) 

**Smee,  A.    My  Garden.    London,  1872. 

Smithsonian  Institution.  Catalogue  of  Scientific  and  Technical  Peri- 
odicals, 1665  to  1882 ;  together  with  a  Library  Check-list.  By  H.  C. 
Bolton.  (Misc.  coll.,  no.  514.) 

Spencer,  H.  Origin  and  Function  of  Music.  (Eraser's  Mag.,  vol.  Ivi., 
1857,  p.  396.) 

Stearns,  R.  C.  Instances  of  the  Effects  of  Musical  Sounds  on  Animals. 
(American  Naturalist,  vol.  xxiv.,  1890,  pp.  22,  123,  236.) 

Stearns,  W.  A.  New  England  Bird-life.  Rev.  and  ed.  by  Dr.  E.  Coues. 
2  vols. 


APPENDIX.  239 

*  Stein,  F.    Uber  die  geographische  Verbreitung  und  die  Lebensweise  der 

siidamerikanischen  Singvogel.     (Archivfur  Naturgeschichte,  5.  Jahrg. 
Bd.  i.,  1839,  p.  235.) 
Sterne,  C.    Das  erste  Standchen.     (Gartenlaube,  1875,  pp.  787-789.) 

*  Storer,  D.  H.,  and  Peabody,  W.  B.  O.    Reports  on  the  Fishes,  Reptiles, 

and  Birds  of  Massachusetts.     (Mass.  Commonwealth.)     Boston,  1839. 
Stridulating  Crustaceans.     (Nature,  vol.  xviii.,  1878,  pp.  53,  95.) 
Stridulation  of  Butterflies.    (In  Baird,  S.  F.    Ann.  Record  of  Science.) 

1877,  p.  309. 
Stridulation  of  Scorpions.    (In  Baird,  S.  F.    Ann.  Record  of  Science.) 

1877,  p.  282. 
Sturt,  Capt.  C.     Narr.  of  an  Exped.  into  Central  Australia.    2  vols. 

London,  1849. 

Sully,  J.    Animal  Music.     (Cornhill  Mag.,  vol.  xl,  1879,  p.  605.) 
*— — p-  Sensation  and  Intuition.    London,  1874. 
Swiss  Cross,  The :  Magazine  of  Popular  Science.    N.  Y.,  monthly. 
Taylor,  Charlotte.    Musicians  of  Field  and  Meadow.    (Harp.  Mag.,  vol. 

xxvi.,  1862-63,  pp.  495-501.) 

*  Taylor,  H.  R.    Mocking-bird  as  a  Mimic.    (Ornithologist  and  Odlogist, 

vol.  xiii.,  Aug.,  1888,  p.  117.) 
* Songs  in  the  Night.  (Ornithologist  and  Odlogist,  vol.  xiv.,  May,  1889, 

p.  69.) 

Taylor,  J.  E.    Half -hours  in  the  Green  Lanes.    7th  ed.     London,  1890. 
Taylor,  R.      Te  ika  a  maui;  or,  New  Zealand  and  its  Inhabitants. 

London,  1870. 

Tennent,  Sir  J.  E.    Sketches  of  the  Nat.  Hist,  of  Ceylon.    London,  1861. 
**  Thayer,  E.  M.    Music  of  Niagara.  (Scribner's  Mag.,  vol.  xxi.,  1880,  pp. 

583-586.) 

Theuriet,  A.    Song-birds  and  Seasons.    Boston,  1888. 
Thompson,  M.    Sylvan  Secrets,  in  Bird-songs  and  Books.    N.  Y.,  1887. 
Thomson,  J.  S.    Mimicry -of  Birds.     (Nature,  vol.  xvii.,  1878,  p.  361.) 
Thoreau,  H.  D.    Early  Spring  in  Massachusetts.    Boston,  1881. 

Summer:  from  (his)  Journal.    Ed.  by  H.  G.  O.  Blake.    Boston,  1884. 

Winter :  from  (his)  Journal.    Ed.  by  H.  G.  0.  Blake.    Boston,  1888. 

Torrey,  B.    Birds  in  the  Bush.    Boston,  1885. 

A  Rambler's  Lease.    Boston,  1889. 

Treatise  on    British    Song-birds.     With  introd.  b>   P.   Syme.    Dins. 

Edinburgh,  1823. 
Unsere   Wintergaste    (German    Winter-birds).      Gartenlaube,    1868, 

pp.  126-127. 
U.  S.  Dept.  of  Agriculture.    Division  of  Ornithology  and  Mammalogy. 

Publications.    Washington. 


240  WOOD  NOTES   WILD. 

U.  S.  National  Museum.     Proceedings. 

Viardot,  L.     On    the    JEsthetic    Sense    in   Animals.    Tr.  by  A.  R 

Macdonough.     (Pop.  Sci.  Mo.,  vol.  iv.,  1873,  pp.  729-735.) 
Vogelsprache,  Die.     (Gartenlaube,  1866,  pp.  705-707.) 

*  W.,  J.  M.     City  Singers.     (Ornithologist  and  Oologist,  vol.  xii.,  March, 

1887,  p.  40.) 
Wallace,  A.  R.    In  Contribution  to  the  Theory  of  Natural  Selection, 

p.  220.    London,  1872. 
Darwinism :  an  Exposition  of  the  Theory  of  Natural  Selection. 

London,  1889. 
The  Malay  Archipelago.     (Great  Bird  of  Paradise,  pp.  466-467.) 

N.  Y.,  1869. 

Walton,  I.    The  Complete  Angler.    London,  1875. 
Warren,    Uncle    (pseud.).     Birds :    Their  Homes   and   Their   Habits. 

Phila.,  1887. 
Waterton,  C.    Essays  on  Natural  History,  chiefly  Ornithology.    London, 

1838. 

Wanderings  in  South  America.    London,  1879. 

Watt,  R.    Bibliotheca  Britannica;  or,  General  Index  to  British 'and 

Foreign  Literature.     4  vols.     Edinburgh,  1824. 
**  Weber,  Dr.  F.    On  Melody  in  Speech.    (Longman's  Mag.,  vol.  ix.,  1887, 

pp.  399-411.) 
Wheelwright,  H.  W.    Ten  Years  in  Sweden.     (See  Musical  Frogs.) 

London,  1865. 

White,  Rev.  G.    Natural  Hist,  of  Selborne.    London,  1878. 
*Wienland,  D.  F.    Von  Vogelgesang.     (Die  Natur,  vol.  viii.,  1859, 

pp.  225-228.) 

*  Willy,  T.  P.    A  Talking  Robin.     (Ornithologist  and  Oologist,  vol.  vi., 

July,  1881,  p.  39.) 

Wilson,  Dr.  A.    American  Ornithology.    Phila.,  1810. 
Songs  without  Words.      (Eclec.  Mag.,  N.  s.  vol.  xxxvi.,  1882,  pp. 

737-745.) 

Wood,  Rev.  J.  G.    Strange  Dwellings.    Boston,  1872. 
World  of  Wonders.     (Talking  Birds,  pp.  395-396.)    London,  1888. 
Yarrell,  W.    History  of  British  Birds.    3  vols.   London,  1856. 
History  of  British  Fishes.    3  vols.     London,  1856. 

*  Young,  R.     Song  of  the  Mocking-bird.     (Forest  and  Stream,  vol.  ix., 

Aug.  16,  1877,  p.  24.) 

Zoei  a  biological  journal  (quarterly).    San  Francisco,  Cal. 
Zoologist,  The:  a  popular  miscellany  of  natural  history.    Conducted 

by  E.  Newman.    Third  Series.    Ed.  by  J.  E.  Harting.     (Cf.  The 

Entomological  Mag.) 


ACKNOWLEDGMENTS. 


*~PHE  editor  is  under  obligations  to  the  following  authors 
•*•  and  publishers  for  prompt  response  to  his  calls  upon 
their  generosity ;  and  while  others  might  well  be  mentioned, 
he  must  not  omit  to  express  special  indebtedness  to  Mr.  A.  J. 
Rudolph,  First  Assistant  Librarian  of  the  San  Francisco  Free 
Public  Library,  for  skilled  assistance  in  the  proof-reading,  and 
in  the  preparation  of  the  index. 

Allen,  Grant.  —  Allen,  J.  A.,  Curator  American  Museum  of  Natural 
History,  Central  Park,  N.  Y.  —  Amory,  Catherine  F.,  Editor  of  the 
"  Swiss  Cross."  —  Beldiug,  L.  —  Bicknell,  Eugene  P.  —  Brewster, 
William.  —  Burroughs,  John.  —  Coleman,  A.  P.,  Faraday  Hall,  Vic- 
toria University,  Coburg,  Ontario.  —  Collier,  P.  F.,  Editor  of  "Once 
a  Week."  Permission  to  quote  from  E.  A.  SAMUELS,  Our  North- 
ern and  Eastern  Birds.  —  Coues,  Dr.  Elliott.  —  Educational  Publish- 
ing Company,  permission  to  quote  from  W.  FLAGG,  A  Year  with 
the  Birds.  —  Kstes  and  Lauriat,  permission  to  quote  from  Dr.  ELLIOTT 
COUES,  Birds  of  the  North-west ;  H.  D.  MINOT,  Land-birds  and 
Game-birds  of  New  England.  —  Fewkes,  Dr.  J.  Walter,  Boston  So- 
ciety of  Natural  History.  —  Foster,  L.  S.,  Publisher  of  "The  Auk."  — 
Golz,  Dr.  Justizrath,  Berlin.  —  Goodwin,  W.  L.,  Queen's  University, 
Kingston,  Ontario.  —  Granauer,  Dr.  F.,  of  K.  K.  Universitats-Biblio- 
thek,  Vienna.  —  Horsford,  B.  —  Houghton,  Mifflin,  &  Co.,  permis- 
sion to  quote  from  B.  TORREY,  Birds  in  the  Bush.  —  Ingersoll,  Ernest. 
—  Leach,  Dr.  M.  L.  —  Little,  Brown,  &  Co.,  permission  to  quote 
from  S.  F.  BAIRD,  T.  M.  BREWER,  and  E.  RIDGWAT,  Hist,  of  Amer. 
Birds ;  H.  L.  NELSON,  Bird-songs  about  Worcester.  —  Macmillan  & 
Co.,  permission  to  quote  from  C.  WATERTON,  Wanderings  in  South 
America.  —  Mayer,  Alfred  M.,  Professor  of  Physics,  Stevens  Institute 
of  Technology,  Hoboken,  N.  J.  —  Merriam,  C.  Hart.,  Ornithologist 

16 


242  WOOD  NOTES   WILD. 

U.  S.  Dep't  of  Agriculture.  —  Miller,  Olive  Thome.  —  Minot,  Henry  D. 
—  Palmer,  T.  S.,  Acting  ornithologist,  U.  S.  Dep't  of  Agriculture.  — 
Pfluger,  C.  F.,  Sec'y  of  the  Soc.  for  the  Introduction  of  Useful  Sing- 
ing-birds into  Oregon.  —  Ridgway,  Robert,  Smithsonian  Institution. — 
Russ,  Dr.  Karl,  Editor  of  "  Die  gefiederte  Welt." — Samuels,  Edward  A., 
President  of  Massachusetts  Fish  and  Game  Protective  Association.  — 
Sully,  J.  —  Thomae,  F.,  Librarian,  University  Library,  Tubingen.  — 
Thompson,  Maurice.  —  Torrey,  Bradford.  —  Walker,  R.  C.,  Prin- 
cipal Librarian  Free  Public  Library,  New  South  Wales.  —  Weber, 
Dr.  F.,  of  London.  —  Youmans,  W.  J.,  Popular  Science  Monthly. 


INDEX. 


INDEX. 


AARON,  S.  F.,  229. 

Abbott,  Dr.  C.  C.,  126,  229. 

Aberdevine,  180. 

Accentor,  Golden-crowned.  See  Oven- 
bird. 

^Esthetic  sense  denied  to  animals,  142. 

Agassiz,  L.,  and  Gould,  A.  A.,  140, 
229. 

All  the  year  round  (magazine),  142, 
171,  229,  230,  236. 

Allen,  C.  N.,  229. 

Allen,  G.,  135,  229,  241;  Harmonic 
intervals  in  bird-music,  134;  Oven- 
bird,  167. 

Allen,  J.  A.,  229,  241 ;  Baltimore  ori- 
ole, 168;  Blue  Jay,  168;  Crow,  168; 
Meadow-lark,  168  ;  Oriole,  168  ; 
Towhee,  168. 

Alouette  des  champs.    Notations,  221. 

American  goldfinch.    See  Yellow-bird. 

American  journal  of  science  and  arts, 
175,  237. 

American  Museum  of  Natural  History, 
N.  Y.,  229. 

American  naturalist  (magazine),  141. 

American  nightingale.  See  Thrush 
( turdus  fuscescens) . 

American  warblers.  See  Warbler 
(sylvicolidce). 

Amory,  Catherine,  158, 165,  229,  241. 

Animals,  ^Esthetic  sense  denied  to, 
142;  Voices  of,  See  Notations. 

Ant,  Music  of,  128. 

Antrostomus  vociferus.  See  Whip- 
poorwill. 

Ape  (Gibbon),  Music  of,  129. 

Aristophanes,  182,  229. 

Arnaud,  Abbe.    Voice  of  swan,  216. 


Asbury,  Alice,  229. 

Ass,  129;  Gardiner,  W.  Notation,  213. 

Assisi,  Saint  Francis  d'.  See  Francis 
d'Assisi. 

Atrichias,  Ventriloquism  among  the, 
210. 

Audubon,  J.  J.,  vi,  vii;  Drumming 
of  partridge,  196,  197,  198,  229;  In- 
ability to  describe  the  songs  of  birds, 
114  ;  Night-hawk  booming,  196  ; 
Oven-bird,  166. 

Augurs.     Signs  from  birds,  171. 

Auk,  The  (magazine),  229. 

Ausiand,  Das  (magazine),  234. 

Austin,  G.  L.,  229 ;  Bullfinch,  175. 

Australia.  Plumage  of  birds,  210; 
Bird-songs  in,  209. 

Australian  Museum,  Guide  to,  210, 
229. 

Author,  Letters,  notes,  etc.,  by.  Au- 
thor's power  of  memory,  188 ;  Auto- 
graph (facsimile  and  transcript)  of, 
x,xi.  Bird-songs  at  Lynn  and  Frank- 
lin, 158 ;  Bobolink,  192 ;  Collection  of 
bird-songs,  when  begun,  v;  Extem- 
porizing of  the  field-sparrow,  148; 
Improvement  in  bird-song,  174 ;  In- 
strument for  taking  pitch  of  bird- 
songs,  191 ;  Last  days  of,  171 ;  Mode 
of  taking  the  bird-songs,  161 ;  New- 
ness of  the  field,  113, 114, 116, 121, 
124;  Night-hawk  booming,  196; 
Notation  of  Indian-songs  from  the 
phonograph,  172;  Notations  from 
diary  of,  205;  Notations  of  song- 
sparrow  by  W.  Flagg  and  the  au- 
thor, 125 ;  Song  of  a  caged  robin,  174 ; 
Song  of  bobolink  cannot  be  copied, 


246 


WOOD  NOTES   WILD. 


115;  Song  of  oriole  at  burial  of, 
170;  Song  of  Wilson's  thrush,  164; 
Thaxter,  C.,  on  loons,  200;  Whip- 
poorwill,  168;  Wood-pewee,  143; 
Wood  thrush,  161. 
Axon,  W.  E.  A.,  140,  229. 


BAILY,  W.  L.,  229. 

Baird,  S.  F.,  128,  230,  239. 

Baird,  Brewer,  and  Ridgway,  149, 
230;  Fox-colored  sparrow,  155;  Her- 
mit thrush,  165;  Oven-bird,  167; 
Scarlet  tanager,  185;  Tawny  thrush, 
163;  Wood  thrush,  162,  165. 

Baltimore  oriole.  See  Oriole  (icterus 
Baltimore). 

Banvard,  J.,  230. 

Barrington,  D.,  230 ;  Definition  of  bird- 
song,  122;  Imitation  in  singing- 
birds,  174,  175;  Intervals  in  bird- 
songs,  121;  Song-birds,  quoted  by 
W.  J.  Broderip,  121;  Table  of  com- 
parative merit  of  British  singing- 
birds,  180. 

Bates,  H.  W.,  128,  230;  Cricket  music, 
128;  Organ-bird,  186. 

Batty,  J.  H.  Drumming  of  partridge, 
198. 

Bechstein,  J.  M.,  193,  230. 

Beckler,  D.  H.,  230;  Notations  by,  re- 
ferred to  by  Dr.  Golz,  115 ;  Various 
notations  of  bird-songs  (and  note  by 
editor),  208. 

Bee.    flinrichs,  A.    Notation,  226. 

fielding,  L.,  230,  241 ;  Big-tree  thrush, 
162;  Variations  in  bird-songs,  163. 

Bell-bird,  195;  Waterton,  C.,  196. 

Berthoud,  H.    Bird  of  paradise,  186. 

Bertini,  A.  Swan  (notation  quoted  by 
J.  E.  Ilarding),  216. 

Bicknell,  E.  P.,  146,  230,  241 ;  Effect 
of  moult  and  fatness  on  the  singing 
of  birds,  147;  Oven-bird,  166;  Song- 
sparrow,  147. 

Bird  language.    See  Bird-song. 

Bird  music.     See  Bird-song. 

Bird  of  paradise.    Berthoud,  H.,  186. 

Bird-song.     (See   also  Bird-songs. — 


Birds. — Borrowing  from  the  birds. — 
Imitation.  —  Music.  —  Night-songs. 
— Notations. — Songs. — Song-birds.) 
Affinity  of  tones,  6 ;  Allen,  G.  Har- 
monic intervals  in,  134;  Allen,  J.  A. 
Variations  in,  168 ;  At  Franklin,  158 ; 
At  Lynn,  158;  At  Worcester,  158; 
Audubon,  J.  J.  Inability  to  de- 
scribe the  songs  of  the  birds,  114 ; 
Barrington,  D.  Definition  of,  122, 
Intervals  in,  121,  Table  of  compara- 
tive merit  of  British  singing-birds, 
180;  fielding,  L.  Variations  in,  163; 
Bicknell,  E.  P.  Effect  of  moult  and 
fatness  on,  147 ;  Birds  sing  flat,  152; 
Birds  sing  out  of  tune,  152;  Bright 
plumage  vs.  song,  185;  Burgh,  A. 
Birds  are  instinctive  musicians,  135 ; 
Childish  writing  on  music  of  the 
birds,  124 ;  Development  of,  8 ;  En- 
ergy expended  in,  190 ;  Evolution  of, 
5, 138 ;  Gassendi,  P.  Prefers  bird- 
song  to  human  music,  133 ;  Genesis 
of,  5,  134;  Harmonic  affinities  in, 
132,  133;  Harmony  produced  by 
bird-notes,  200;  Improvement  in, 
174;  Indescribable,  7, 166;  Intervals 
in,  133;  Jesse,  E.  Variations  in, 
173;  Knapp,  J.  L.  No  improve- 
ment in,  176 ;  Localities,  113 ;  Miller, 
0.  T.  Variations  in,  169;  Morning 
song  in  Jamaica,  153;  Nelson,  H. 
L.  Change  in  key,  164;  Organs  of 
song,  140;  Pitch  in,  131;  Placzek, 
Dr.  B.  Origin  of  the  song-habit, 
139;  R.,  M.  H.  Bird-songs  cannot 
be  copied,  114;  Rhythm  in,  131, 
154,  208;  Structure  of  melody,  130; 
Sully,  J.  Intervals  in,  132,  Rhythm 
in,  131,  Sexual  selection  improves 
voice,  138,  Tonality  in,  132;  Sus- 
tentation  of  tones  in,  117;  Time  in 
bird  music,  131;  Tonality  or  key  in, 
131;  Torrey,  B.,  138;  Variation  in 
the  singing  of  same  birds,  8 ;  Varia- 
tion of  song  between  young  and  old 
birds,  25,  26;  Various  notations  of 
music  of  nature,  203;  Waltz  and 
bird-songs  compared,  134 ;  Whistling 


INDEX. 


247 


of  birds,  133;  Why  birds  sing,  5, 
139. 

Bird-songs.  (See  also  Bird-song. — 
Birds. — Imitation. — Music. — Night- 
songs. —  Notations.  —  Songs.)  Are 
not  music,  123;  Author's  collection 
of,  when  begun,  v;  Author's  mode 
of  taking,  161;  Big-tree  thrush  and 
wood  thrush,  162  ;  Flagg,  W.  On 
copying  of,  114;  Fowler,  W.  W. 
Bird-songs  cannot  be  copied,  114; 
Golz,  Dr.  Bird-songs  can  be  copied, 
115;  Harting,  J.  E.  Reproducing 
of,  215;  Illustrations  of,  in  refuta- 
tion of  Wm.  Pole,  123. 

Birds.  (See  also  Bird-song.  —  Bird- 
songs. —  Borrowing  from  the  birds. 
—  Song-birds.)  Dancing  of,  136; 
Imported  songsters,  182;  Jenner, 
Dr.  Signs  from,  171;  Legend  of 
Saint  Francis  d'Assisi,  170;  Plu- 
mage of,  in  Australia,  210  ;  Prices 
of  imported  singing-birds,  184. 

Birmingham,  J.,  230. 

Bishop.  Buffon,  G.  L.  L.,  comte  de. 
Organist  same  as,  186  ;  Le  Page  du 
Pratz,  (  —  ),  186. 

Black-billed  cuckoo.  See  Cuckoo  (coc- 
cygus  erythrophthalmus). 

Blackbird  (turdus  merula),  176,  180; 
Notations :  Gardiner,  W.,  211,  Haw- 
kins, Sir  J.,  217,  Smee,  A.,  222; 
Smee,  A.,  223. 

Blackcap,  180;  Harting,  J.  E.  Nota- 
tion, 215. 

Black -capped  titmouse.  See  Chickadee 
(parus  atricapillus). 

Black-throated  green  warbler.  See 
Warbler  (dendroica  virens). 

Blackwall,  J  ,  175,  230. 

Blake,  G.    Loon,  200. 

Blanchard,  E.,  140,  230. 

Blue  Jay.    Allen,  J.  A.,  168. 

Bluebird  (sia lia  sialis) .  ( See  also  Cat- 
bird, 52.)  Minot,  H.  D.,  144;  Nel- 
son, E.  W.,  145;  Notations,  11; 
Nuttall,  T.,  145. 

Bob  White.    See  Quail. 

Bobolink   (dolichonyx  oryzivorvs),  82, 


175,  191;  Cheney,  S.  P.  Song  can- 
not be  copied,  7,  115 ;  Difference  be- 
tween song  of  old  and  young,  26 ; 
Hayward,  Miss  C.  A.,  194 ;  In  the 
role  of  a  canary,  193;  Minot,  H.  D., 
193;  Notations,  83;  Wilson,  Dr.  A., 
193. 

Bombay  times  (newspaper),  127. 

Bonasa  umbellus.     See  Ruffed  grouse. 

Bonnier,  P.,  230. 

Booming.    Night-hawk,  196. 

Borrowing  from  the  birds.  Chewink, 
45;  Kingsley,  Rev.  C.,  134;  Old 
Dan  Tucker  borrowed  from  the  hens, 
108;  Rooster,  105. 

Boyle,  Mrs.  E.  V.  (G.),  230. 

Brand,  J.,  171, 231. 

Brehm,  A.  C.,  vii,  231. 

Brehm  and  Hausmann,  231. 

Brewster,  W.,  241;  Drumming  of  par- 
tridge, 197. 

Brimley,  C.  S.,  231. 

British  singing-birds.  Barrington's 
table  of  comparative  merit  of,  180. 

Broderip,  W.  J.,  231  ;  Song-birds 
(quoted  from  D.  Barrington),  121. 

Brown  mocker.  See  Thrush  (harpo- 
rhynchus  rufus). 

Brown  thrasher.  See  Thrush  (karpo- 
rhynchus  rufus). 

Brown  thrush.  See  Thrush  (harpo- 
rhynchus  rufus). 

Browning,  R.  Song  thrush  (poem), 
223. 

Bubo  Virginianus.  See  Great  horned 
owl. 

Buckland,  F.,  126, 140,  231. 

Buffon,  G.  L.  L.,  comte  de,  216,  231; 
Bishop  same  as  organist,  186 ;  Or- 
ganist, 186. 

Buist,  Dr.,  231;  Musical  fishes,  126. 

Bull.    Notations,  120,  206. 

Bullfinch,  133;  Austin,  G.  L.,  175. 

Bumble-bee.  Hinrichs,A.  Notations, 
226. 

Burgh,  A.,  231;  Birds  are  instinctive 
musicians,  135. 

Burritt,  E.,  231. 

Burroughs,  J.,   152,  166,    231,    241; 


248 


WOOD  NOTES   WILD. 


Chestnut-sided  warbler,  157;  Fox- 
colored  sparrow,  155;  Hermit  thrush, 
164  ;  Linnet,  149  ;  Rose-breasted 
grosbeak,  188;  Wood-pewee,  143; 
Wood  thrush,  164. 


C.,  S.  P.    See  Author. 

Cabot,  J.  E.,  175,  231. 

Calandria.  See  Mocking-bird  (mimus 
orpheus),  181. 

California  Academy  of  Sciences,  231. 

Campanero  (Bell-bird),  195. 

Canary,  176;  Bobolink  in  the  role  of 
a,  193. 

Carlyle,  T.    On  music  of  nature,  129. 

Carpodacus  purpureus.     See  Linnet. 

Cat.    Weber,  Dr.  F.    Notations,  225. 

Cat-bird  (mimus  Carolinensis),  Nota- 
tions, 52;  Stearns,  W.  A.,  159. 

Century  magazine,  148. 

Chaffinch,  160,  180. 

Chat,  Yellow-breasted  (icteria  viridis). 
(See  also  Cat-bird,  52.)  Notations, 
80;  Nuttall,  T.,  191;  Wilson,  Dr. 
A.,  79. 

Cheney,  Mrs.  Julia  C.  Author's  last 
days,  171;  Author's  method  of  tak- 
ing the  bird-songs,  161. 

Chestnut-sided  warbler.  See  War- 
bler (dendroica  Pennsylvanica). 

Chewink  (pipilo  erythrophthalmus), 
8;  Notations,  45,  118,  156;  "Rock 
of  ages  "  and  song  of,  45, 118;  Tor- 
rey,  B.  Extemporizing  of,  155; 
Wilson,  Dr.  A.,  45. 

Chickadee  (parus  atricapillus).  De- 
voutness  of  song  of,  8;  Flagg,  W., 
142;  Minot,  H.  D.,  143;  Notations, 
27,  123,  142. 

Chickens.  See  Fowl  language.  — 
Hen.  —  Rooster. 

Chiff-chaff,  160. 

Chipmunk  charmed  by  music,  142. 

Chipping  sparrow.    See  Sparrow  (spi- 

zella  socialis). 

Chordeiles  Virginianus.    See  Night- 
hawk. 
Chrysomitris  tristis.    See  Yellow-bird. 


Church,  Mrs.  E.  R.,  231. 

Clark,  J.  W.  231. 

Clark,  X.,  132,  133, 134,  231. 

Clothes-rack,    Notation,  4. 

Coccygus  Americanus.  See  Yellow- 
billed  cuckoo. 

Coccygus  erythrophthalmus.  See  Black- 
billed  cuckoo. 

Cock.     See  Rooster. 

Cock  chaffer.  Hinrichs,  A.  Nota- 
tion, 226. 

Colaptes  auratus.  See  Golden-winged 
woodpecker. 

Coleman,  A.  P.,  231,  241;  Scarlet 
tanager,  185. 

Collier,  P.  F.,  241. 

Colt.  (See  also  Horse.)  Notations,  205. 

Colymbus  torquatus.  See  Great 
northern  diver. 

Contopus  virens.     See  Wood-pewee. 

Cooper,  J.  G.,  231. 

Corwin,  U.  S.  Revenue-steamer,  231. 

Coues,  Dr.  E.,  vi,  196,  231,  241;  Chip- 
ping sparrow,  40  ;  Drumming  of 
partridge,  196,  199;  Field-sparrow, 
35;  Hermit  thrush,  59;  Oven-bird, 
62;  Wood-pewee,  143. 

Cow.  (See  also  Bull.)  Music-loving 
cows,  141;  Notation,  206;  Weber, 
Dr.  F.  Notation,  224. 

Cowper,  W.  Ode  to  the  nightingale 
(Song  thrush  ?),  181. 

Cricket.  Hinrichs,  A.  Notation, 
226 ;  Music  of,  128. 

Crow,  175;  Allen,  J.  A.,  168;  Nota- 
tion, 205. 

Crow-shrike  (gymnorhina  ft'&icer»),210. 

Crowest,  F.  J.,  136,  231. 

Crustaceans,  Stridulating,  128. 

Cuckoo,  2,  160;  Gardiner,  W.,  195; 
Haweis,  Rev.  H.  R.  Cuckoo's  song, 
116  ;  Intervals  in  song  of,  2,  88, 
116,  135,  194,  195;  Kircher,  A., 
195 ;  Mitford,  (— ),  194 ;  Notations, 
194,195;  Gardiner,  W.,  213;  Haw- 
kins, Sir  J.,  217;  Originator  of 
the  minor  scale,  135 ;  Song  of 
Cuckoo  and  golden-winged  wood- 
pecker, 30. 


INDEX. 


249 


Cuckoo,   Black-billed  (coccygus   ery- 

throphthalmus).     Notations,  87. 
Cuckoo,  English.    Intervals  in  song 

of,  116,  195. 
Cuckoo,  Yellow-billed  (coccygus  Amer- 

icanusf),  194;  Minot,  H.  D.,  194; 

Notation,  89. 
Cunz,  B.,  232. 
Curlew,  192. 

Cyanospiza  cyanea.    See  Indigo-bird. 
Cyphorhinus  cantans.  See  Organ-bird. 


DANCING  and  singing,  136. 

Dara  (Bell-bird),  195. 

Darwin,  C.,  129,  196,  232. 

Darwin,  F.,  232. 

Davis,  W.  T.,  126,  232. 

Death-watch.  Hinrichs,  A.  Nota- 
tions, 226. 

DeKay,  J.  E.,  232. 

Dekum,  F.,  President.  Society  for 
Introduction  of  Singing-birds  into 
Oregon,  183. 

Dendroica  cestiva.  See  Yellow  warbler. 

Dendroica  Pennsylvanica.  See  War- 
bler. 

Dendroica  virens.  See  Black-throated 
green  warbler. 

Derby  and  Jackson  (publishers),  235. 

Diver,  Great  northern  (colymbus  tor- 
guatus),  95;  Blake,  G.  Flying  un- 
der water  (Loon),  200;  Notations, 
97,  117;  Thaxter,  C.  Loon,  200; 
Vickary,  N.,  97;  Wilson,  Dr.  A., 
95. 

Dog.  Notations  :  206,  Gardiner,  W. 
213,  Weber,  Dr.  F.,  224. 

Dolichonyx  oryzivorus.    See  Bobolink. 

Donkey.  Weber,  Dr.  F.  Notation, 
224. 

Drumming.    See  Grouse,  Ruffed. 

Duck,  Wild.    Notation,  136. 


ECLECTIC  magazine,  142,  181,  230, 

236,  237. 

Edinburgh  Philos.  journ.,  126. 
Educational  Publishing  Company,  241. 


Edwards,  W.  H.,  232. 

Eel,  Music  of,  126. 

Emblem  of  the  song  guild,  129. 

Emerson,  R.  W.,  27,  193. 

Encyclopaedia  Britannica,  140,  171, 
232. 

Encyclopaedia  Perthensis,  232. 

Energy  expended  in  bird-song,  190. 

English  cuckoo.    See  Cuckoo. 

Estes  and  Lauriat,  241. 

Evans,  Rev.  W.  E.,  232. 

Extemporizing.  Che  wink,  45 ;  Field- 
sparrow,  148;  Flagg,  W.  Che- 
wink,  156;  Torrey,  B.  Chewink, 
155. 


FATNESS.  Bicknell,  E.  P.  Effect  of, 
on  the  singing  of  birds,  147. 

Fewkes,  Dr.  J.  W.,  241;  Author's 
notation  of  nature-music  from  the 
phonograph,  172. 

Field-sparrow.  See  Sparrow  (spizella 
pusilla). 

Finch,  Purple.  See  Linnet  (carpoda- 
cus  purpureus). 

Fish,  E.  E.,  137,  142,  232. 

Fishes,  Musical,  126. 

Flagg,  W.,  142,  175,  232;  Chewink 
extemporizes,  156 ;  Copying  of  bird- 
songs,  114 ;  Hermit  thrush,  59 ;  No- 
tations by  Flagg  and  the  author, 
125;  Whippoorwill  and  quail,  168. 

Flat,  Birds  sing,  152. 

Flat-bill,  153. 

Fletcher,  W.  I.,  232. 

Flicker.  See  Woodpecker  (colaptet 
auratus). 

Fly-catchers  in  Australia,  210. 

Flying  under  water  (Loon).  Blake, 
G.,  200. 

Forbes,  H.  0.,  128,  232. 

Forbes,  Maj.  J.,  171,  232. 

Forest  and  stream  (periodical),  232. 

Foss,  J.,  188. 

Foster,  L.  S.,  241. 

Fowl  language.    Holder,  C.  F.,  201. 

Fowler,  W.  W.,  232;  Bird-songs  can- 
not be  copied,  114. 


250 


WOOD  NOTES   WILD. 


Fowls.   Gardiner,  W.  Notations,  212. 
Fox-colored  sparrow.     See  Sparrow 

(passerella  iliaca). 
Francheschini,  R.,  128,  232. 
Francis   d'Assisi,  Saint,  Legend    of, 

170. 

Fraser's  magazine,  231. 
Free-willers,  Worship  of,  64. 
Frog,  Bull.    Notations,  206. 
Frog,  Music  of,  127. 
Funeral  chants,  Origin  of,  136. 
Funk,  N.,  196,  232. 


GAINBORG,  Dr.,  232. 

Gambel's  white -crowned  sparrow. 
Notation,  153. 

Gardiner,  W.,  128,  232;  Notations: 
Ass,  213,  Blackbird,  211,  Cuckoo, 
195,  213,  Dog,  212,  Fowls,  212, 
Hen,  211,  Horse,  212,  Lark,  213, 
Nightingale,  211,  Ox,  212,  Throstle, 
211. 

Garten  laube  (magazine),  128,  182, 
210,  233,  236,  240. 

Gassendi,  P.,  233;  Bird-songs  pre- 
ferred to  human  music,  133. 

Gefiederte  Welt,  Die  (magazine),  233. 

Genesis  of  bird-song,  134. 

Gentleman's  magazine,  137,  232,  237. 

Geopdia  tranquilla,  Gould.  See 
Ventriloquist  dove. 

Gibbs,  Dr.  M.,  233. 

Giraud,  J.  P.,  Jr.,  233;  Hermit  thrush, 
165. 

Gnat.    Hinrichs,  A.    Notation,  226. 

Goldfinch.  (See  also  Yellow  bird.)  180. 

Goldfinch,  American.  See  Yellow 
bird. 

Golz,  Dr.  (— ),  of  Berlin,  vii,  181, 
241;  Bird-songs  can  be  copied, 
115;  Notations  of  bird-songs  by 
D.  H.  Beckler,  115;  Song  of  gray 
nightingale  cannot  be  copied,  115. 

Goniaphea  Ludoviciana.  See  Gros- 
beak. 

Good,  J.  M.,  233. 

Goodwin,  W.  L.,  233,  241;  Birds 
sing  out  of  tune,  152. 


Gosse,  P.  H.,  196,  233;  Buffon's  or- 
ganist not  same  as  solitaire,  187; 
Mocking  -  bird  of  Jamaica,  160 ; 
Morning  song  in  Jamaica,  154. 

Goulding,  F.  R.,  233. 

Grahame,  Rev.  J.,  233. 

Granauer,  Dr.  F.,  of  Vienna,  vii, 
241. 

Grasshopper.  Hinrichs,  A.  Nota- 
tions, 226. 

Gray  nightingale.    See  Nightingale. 

Gray  wag-tail,  160. 

Great  horned  owl.  See  Owl  (bubo 
Virginianus). 

Great  northern  diver.  See  Diver 
(colymbus  torquatus). 

Greene,  Dr.  W.  T.,  233. 

Greenfinch,  180. 

Griswold,  W.  M.,  233. 

Grive  chanteuse.    Notations,  220. 

Grosbeak,  Purple.  See  Linnet  ( Cor- 
podacus  purpureus) . 

Grosbeak,  Rose-breasted,  188;  Bur- 
roughs, J.,  188;  Notation,  76. 

Grouse,  Ruffed  (bonasa  umbellus),  92 ; 
Drumming  of:  Audubon,  J.  J.,  196, 

197,  198,   Batty,  J.  H.,  198,  Brew- 
ster,  W.,  197,   Coues,  Dr.  E.,  196, 
199,    Henshaw,  H.  W.,   197,    198, 
Minot,  H.  D.,  197,  Nuttall,  T.,  197, 

198,  Ridgway,  R.,  199,  Samuels,  E. 
A.,   197,  Torrey,  B.,  199,  Wilson, 
Dr.  A.,  94, 197,  198;  Notations,  94. 

Gymnorhina  tibicen.  See  Crow- 
shrike. 


HALDEMAN,  S.  S.,  233. 

Hamerton,  P.  G.,  233. 

Hamilton,  E.,  233. 

Hamm,  W.,  233. 

Hardy,  J.,  233. 

Harmonic  affinities  in  bird  music,  132, 

133. 

Harmony  produced  bjr  bird-notes,  200. 
Harper's  magazine,  141,  142,  229,  236. 
Harporhynchus  rufus.  See  Thrush. 
Harry  Wicket.  See  Woodpecker 

(colaptes  auratus). 


INDEX. 


251 


Harting,  J.  E.,  216,  233;  Notations: 
Blackcap,  215;  Reproducing  bird- 
songs,  215;  Willow  warbler,  215. 

Haweis,  Rev.  H.  R.  Cuckoo's  song 
nearest  approach  to  music  in  nature, 
116. 

Hawk.     See  Night-hawk. 

Hawker,  Col  (— ).    Swan,  215. 

Hawkins,  Sir  J.,  142,  233 ;  Notations : 
Blackbird,  217,  Cuckoo,  217, 

Hayward,  Miss  C.  A.    Bobolink,  194. 

Hedge-sparrow,  180. 

Helmholtz,  H.  L.  F.,  233;  Structure 
of  melody,  130. 

Hen.  Composer  of  Old  Dan  Tucker, 
108;  Holder,  C.  F.,  201,  Fowl  lan- 
guage, 201;  Music  and  talk  of,  201; 
Notations:  104,  Gardiner,  W.,  211, 
Kircher,  A.,  217. 

Henderson,  W.  J.,  233;  Nothing  in 
nature  that  resembles  music,  116. 

Henshaw,  H.  W.  Drumming  of  par- 
tridge, 197,  198. 

He-rissant,  (— ),  140,  233. 

Hermit  thrush.  See  Thrush  (turdus 
pallasi). 

Hibberd,  S.,  233;  Night  songs,  160. 

Higginson,  T.  W.,  165,  234;  Robin, 
145. 

High  Hole.  See  Woodpecker  (colaptes 
auratus). 

Hill,  R.  Mocking-bird,  178;  Solitaire, 
187. 

Hinrichs,  Miss  Anna,  128,  234;  Nota- 
tions :  Bumble-bee,  226,  Cock  chaffer, 
226,  Cricket,  226,  Death-watch,  226, 
Gnat,  226,  House-fly,  226. 

Hittock.  See  Woodpecker  (colaptes 
auratus). 

Holder,  C.  F.  Fowl  language,  201; 
Hen  music  and  talk,  201;  Rooster, 
201. 

Horse,  129;  Notations  of:  119,  Gar- 
diner, W.,  212,  Weber,  Dr.  F., 
225. 

Horsford,  B.,  234,  241;  Thrush  (Wood 
thrush  ? ),  165;  White-throated  spar- 
row, 152. 

Hough  ton,  Mifflin,  &  Co.,  241. 


House-fly.  Hinrichs,  A.  Notation, 
226. 

Howell,  A.  H.,  234. 

Hoxie,  W.,  234. 

Hudson,  W.  H.,  137,  187,  234;  Music 
and  dancing  in  nature,  137 ;  White- 
banded  mocking-bird,  176. 

Human  speech,  Birds  reproduce  com- 
plex forms  of,  176. 

Human  voice.  Bates,  H.  W.  Organ- 
bird's  song  like,  186. 


IBIS  (magazine),  234. 

Icteria  viridis.    See  Chat. 

Icterus  Baltimore.     See  Oriole. 

Imitation,  173, 174.  (See  also  Mimicry.) 
American  mocking-bird,  176;  Bar- 
rington,  D.  Robin  and  nightingale, 
174;  Robin,  skylark-linnet,  wood- 
lark  linnet,  175;  Blackbird,  176; 
Bobolink,  175;  Canaries,  176;  Crow, 
175;  Hill,  R.  Mocking-bird,  178; 
Hudson,  W.  H.  White -banded 
mocking-bird,  176;  Human  speech 
reproduced  by  birds,  137,  176 ; 
Thrush,  176;  Sedge  warbler,  176; 
Virginia  mocking-bird,  178. 

Improvement  in  bird-song,  174. 

Inanimate  music.  See  Clothes-rack.  — 
Door.  —  Niagara.  —  Water  drop- 
ping. See  also  Music  in  nature.  — 
Notations. 

Indian  songs  from  the  phonograph, 
Author's  notation  of,  172. 

Indigo-bird  (cyanospiza  cyanea).  No- 
tations, 85. 

Ingersoll,  E.,  146,  234,  241;  Female 
oriole,  169. 

Ingersoll,  E.,  and  others,  234;  Voice 
of  the  goldfinch,  157. 

Insect  music.  See  Ant.  —  Bumble- 
bee. —  Cock  chaffer.  —  Cricket.  — 
Death-watch  —  Gnat.  —  Grasshop- 
per. —  House-fly.  —  Notations. 

Insects,  Musical  organs  and  music  of, 
141. 

Intervals  in  bird-song.  See  Bird- 
song. 


252 


WOOD  NOTES   WILD. 


JAEGER,  B.,  234;  Cricket  music,  128. 

Jamaica,  Morning  song  in,  153. 

Jefferies,  R.,  234;  Ventriloquism  ex- 
plained, 151. 

Jenner,  Dr.  (  —  ).  Signs  from  birds, 
171. 

Jesse,  E.,  234;  Thrush,  173;  Variations 
in  bird-song,  173. 

Job,  141. 

Johnston,  A.  G.  Solitaire  (notations), 
214. 

Journal  fur  Ornithologie,  234. 

KAMTSCHATKALES   use  chords,  §,  f, 

136. 
Keeler,  C.  A.,  234;  Great  horned  owl, 

200 ;  White-throated  sparrow,  153. 
Kennedy,  (  —  ),  234. 
Key,  Change  in.    Nelson,  H.  L.,  164. 
Key,  or  tonality,  in  bird  music,  131. 
Kingsley,  Rev.  C.,  234;    Borrowing 

from  the  birds,  134. 
Kircher,  A.,  129,  137,  140,  142,  234; 

Cuckoo,  195;  Notations:  Hen,  217; 

Nightingale,  218,  Pigritia,  or  sloth, 

217. 
Knapp,  J.  L.,  234;  No  progress  in 

animal  music,  176. 
Knight,  F.  A.,  182, 195,  234. 

LABOULBENE,  Dr.  A.,  234. 

Landois,  H.,  viii,  128,  235. 

Larboard  watch  ahoy.  Notations,  48, 
117. 

Lark.    See  also  Sky-lark. 

Lark,  Names  of  saints  pronounced  by, 
137;  Gardiner,  W.  Notation,  213; 
Macgillivray,  W.,  193 ;  Wood,  Rev. 
J.  G.,  190. 

Lark,  Field.  Lescuyer,  F.  Notations, 
221. 

Lark,  Meadow  (sturnella  magna). 
Allen,  J.  A.,  168;  Notations,  33, 
118,  124;  Rhythmic  beats  of,  154; 
Tremolo  of,  7 ;  Wilson,  Dr.  A.,  33. 

Lark,  Wood,  160,  179, 180,  181. 

Leach,  Dr.  M.  L.,  235,  241;  White- 
throated  sparrow,  151. 


Leather-head.  Notation  (No.  12), 
210. 

Lee,  H.,  235. 

Leopardi,  G.,  235. 

Le  Page  du  Pratz,  (  —  ),  235;  Bishop, 
186. 

Lescuyer,  F.,  182,  235;  Notations: 
Field-lark  (alouette  des  champs),  221, 
Nightingale  (rossignol),  220,  Thros- 
tle (grive  chanteuse),  220. 

LeVaillant,  F.,  235. 

Lewis,  E.  J.,  235. 

Library  of   entertaining   knowledge, 

141,  176, 182,  194,  232. 
Lindsay,  Lady  A.,  235. 
Lindsay,  W.  L.,  235. 

Linnet  (carpodacus  purpureus),  180 ; 

Burroughs,  J.,  149;  Nelson,  H.  L., 

149;  Notations,  37. 
Linnet,  Skylark.     Barrington,  D.,  175. 
Linnet,   Woodlark.     Barrington,  D., 

175. 
Littell's  living  age  (magazine),  129, 

142,  175, 182,  193,  230,  236,  237. 
Little,  Brown,  &  Co.,  241. 
Localities  where  the  songs  were  taken, 

113. 

Lockwood,  Rev.  S.,  126,  235. 

Longman's  magazine,  130. 

Loon.  See  Diver  (colymbus  torquatus). 

Lost  hunter,  191. 

Louisiana  thrush,  62.  See  also  Oven- 
bird. 

Lowell,  J.  R.,  235;  On  cry  of  screech- 
owl,  201. 

Lucretius  Carus,  T.,  135,  235  ;  Man 
learned  musical  notes  from  birds, 
122. 

Lunt,  H.,  144, 157, 158,  166,  185,  188, 
190,  235. 

Luscinia philomela.    See  Nightingale. 

Lyford,  Prof.  A.  C.,  235. 

Lyre-bird  (menura  superba).  Its  pow- 
ers of  mimicry  and  ventriloquism, 
210. 


MACGILLIVRAY,  W.,  139,  140,  235; 
Lark,  193. 


INDEX. 


253 


Macmillan  &  Co.,  241. 

Macy,  C.,  235. 

Mammoth  cave,  Music  in,  129. 

Mare.  (See  also  Horse,  colt.)  Nota- 
tions, 206. 

Martin,  W.  C.  L.,  235. 

Maryland  yellow-throat.  Notation,  49. 

Mavis.  See  Thrush  (harporhynchus 
rufus). 

Mayer,  A.  M.,  152,  235,  241. 

Maynard,  C.  J.,  235. 

Meadow  lark.  See  Lark  (sturnella 
magna). 

Melodies,  poems,  etc.  (See  also  Bird- 
songs.  — Inanimate  music.  —  Music 
in  nature.  —  Night-songs.  —  Nota- 
tions.) Bobolink's  song  in  poetry, 
192;  Browning,  R.  Song  thrush 
(poem),  223;  Larboard  watch  ahoy, 
48, 117 ;  Last  rose  of  summer,  175 ; 
Melody  whistled  while  heating  iron 
(horseshoes),  189;  Partant  pour  la 
Syrie,  186 ;  Rock  of  ages,  45,  118  ; 
Seven  sleepers  (oratorio),  108,  119 ; 
Spinning-girls'  song,  20;  Titmouse 
(poem),  27;  Wood-pewee  (poem  by 
Trowbridge),  65;  Worship  of  Free- 
willers  (wood-pewee's  song),  64. 

Melody,  Structure  of,  130;  What  is,  2. 

Melospiza  melodia.    See  Sparrow. 

Menura  superba.    See  Lyre-bird. 

Merriam,  C.  H.,  241. 

Merriam,  F.  A.,  235. 

Meyer,  A.  B.,  and  Helm,  F.,  236. 

Mice,  Vesper,  music  of,  126. 

Michelet,  J.,  236. 

Miller,  O.  T.,  236,  242;  Oriole,  169; 
Robin,  169  ;  Song-sparrow,  169  ; 
Variations  in  bird-songs,  169. 

Mimicry.  (See  also  Imitation.)  Cat- 
bird, 159;  Lyre-bird,  210. 

Mimus  Carolinensis.    See  Cat-bird. 

Mimus   Orpheus.    See  Mocking-bird. 

Mimus  polyglottus,  Boie.  See  Mock- 
ing-bird. 

Mimus  triurus.    See  Mocking-bird. 

Minor  scale,  Origin  of,  135. 

Minot,  H.  D.,  vi,  236,  242;  Black- 
throated  green  warbler,  157;  Blue- 


bird, 144;  Bobolink,  193 ;  Chestnut- 
sided  warbler,  157 ;  Chickadee,  143; 
Drumming  of  partridge,  197 ;  Field- 
sparrow,  35  ;  Night-hawk,  167  ; 
Nightingale,  181;  Red-eyed  vireo, 
190;  Redstart's  song,  158;  Rose- 
breasted  grosbeak,  188;  Skylark, 
193;  Song-sparrow,  146;  White- 
throated  sparrow,  150;  Wood-pewee, 
144;  Wood-thrush,  181;  Yellow- 
billed  cuckoo,  194. 

Mitford,  (  — ),  Cuckoo,  194. 

Mivart,  St.  G.,  140,  236. 

Mock  nightingale,  Norfolk,  180. 

Mocker,  Brown.  See  Thrush  (harpo- 
rhynchus rufus). 

Mocking-bird.  (See  also  Brown  thrush. 
—  Cat-bird,  52),  133. 

Mocking-bird  (mimus  Orpheus).  Dar- 
win, C.,  181. 

Mocking-bird  (mimus  polyglottus, 
Boie).  Hill,  R.,  178. 

Mocking-bird,  White-banded  (mimus 
triurus),  136 ;  Hudson,  W.  H.,  176. 

Mocking-bird,  Virginia,  178. 

Montagu,  Col.  G.,  236. 

Morning  song  in  Jamaica,  153. 

Mottled  owl.     See  Owl  (scops  asio). 

Moult  and  fatness.  Bicknell,  E.  P. 
Effect  of,  on  the  singing  of  birds, 
147. 

Mouse-song.    Vesper-mice,  126. 

Miiller,  J.,  140,  236. 

Miiller,  Karl,  151,  236. 

Munger,  C.  A.,  236;  Brown  thrush, 
159;  Oriole,  169. 

Murdoch,  J.  B.,  236. 

Music.  (See  also  Bird-song.  —  Bird- 
songs.  —  Inanimate  music.  —  Melo- 
dies. —  Music  in  nature.  —  Nota- 
tions. —  Song-birds.  —  Songs.)  Ef- 
fect of,  on  snakes,  142;  Henderson, 
W.  J.  Nothing  in  nature  that  re- 
sembles music,  116;  Human,  130; 
Pole,  W.  Structure  of,  123;  Uni- 
versal effect  of,  141. 

Music,  Animal,  130.  (See  also  Bird- 
songs.  —  Insect  music.  —  Music  in 
nature.  — Notations.) 


254 


WOOD  NOTES   WILD. 


Music  in  nature.   (See  also  Bird-songs. 

—  Inanimate  music. —  Insect  music. 

—  Notations.)    2,  4,  117,  126;  Ant 
music,  128;  Ape  (Gibbon),  129;  Ass, 
129;  Carlyle,  T.,  129;  Cricket,  128; 
Eel,   126;    Fish,  126;    Frog,    127; 
Haweis,  Rev.  H.  R.    Cuckoo's  song 
nearest  approach  to,  116 ;  Horse,  129 ; 
Peacock,  129;  Sonorous  sand,  129; 
Speech,  129;   Stones,  129;  Vesper- 
mice,  126;   Waters  of  Niagara,  130. 

Music-loving  cows,  141. 

Music  of  nature,  Various  notations  of, 

203. 

Musical  fishes.  See  Music  in  nature. 
Musical  insects.  See  Music  in  nature. 
Afusicapa  armillata,  Viettot.  See 

Solitaire. 


NATURAL  history  of  birds  (Harper  & 
Bros.),  142,  236. 

Natural  history  of  English  song-birds, 
181,  236. 

Naturalist's  note-book,  230. 

Nature  (magazine),  126, 128,  176,  195, 
236,  238,  239. 

Nature,  Music  in.  See  Music  in  na- 
ture. 

Naumann,  J.  F.,  236. 

Nehrling,  H.,  165,  181,  236. 

Nelson,  E.  W.,  236;  Bluebird  and 
robin,  145. 

Nelson,  H.  L.,  237;  Bird-songs  at 
Worcester,  158;  Linnet,  149;  Oven- 
bird,  165 ;  Redstart's  song  resembles 
yellow  warbler's,  158;  Song  of  Her- 
mit thrush,  wood  thrush,  and  veery, 
164;  Song  of  robin  and  tanager, 
185;  Song-sparrow,  146;  Veery, 
163  ;  Wood  thrush,  161;  Yellow 
warbler,  156. 

New  England  magazine,  159, 162, 163, 
237. 

New  Monthly  magazine,  135,  141, 
236,  237. 

New  South  Wales,  Bird-songs  in,  209. 

Newness  of  the  field,  1,  113,  120. 

Niagara,  Music  of,  130. 


Nicols,  A.,  175,  237. 

Night-hawk  (chordeiles  Virginianus), 
66;  And  whippoorwill,  67;  Boom- 
ing of,  196;  Minot,  H.  D.,  167; 
Samuels,  E.  A.,  167;  Wilson,  Dr. 
A.,  66. 

Night-jars,  153. 

Night -songs,  159;  Chaffinch,  160; 
Chiff-chaff,  160;  Cuckoo,  160;  Gol- 
den oriole,  160;  Gray  wag-tail,  160; 
Mocking-bird  of  Jamaica,  160; 
Nightingale,  160;  Reed- wren,  160; 
Ring-ousel,  160;  Robin,  160;  Sam- 
uels, E.  A.  Brown  thrush,  159; 
Thrush,  160;  Water -ousel,  160; 
White-throat,  160;  Willow -wren, 
160;  Wood-lark,  160;  Wren,  160. 

Nightingale,  160,  180 ;  And  his  rivals, 
179;  Barrington,  D.,  174;  Compass 
of,  181;  Cowper,  W.  Ode  to  (Song 
thrush?),  181;  Minot,  H.  D.,  181; 
Notations  of:  Gardiner,  W.,  211, 
Kircher,  A.,  218,  Lescuyer,  F.,  220, 
Nuttall,  T.t  165;  Song  of  blue 
thrush  mistaken  for  song  of,  181; 
Walton,  I.,  182. 

Nightingale,  American.  See  Thrush 
(turdusfuscescens). 

Nightingale,  Gray  (luscinia  philo- 
mela),  115;  Golz,  Dr.  Song  can- 
not be  copied,  115. 

Nightingale,  Norfolk  mock,  180. 

Norfolk  mock  nightingale,  180. 

North  British  review  (magazine),  176, 
230. 

Notations.  Accentor,  Golden-crowned, 
63 ;  Ass,  213;  Beckler,  D.  H.  (names 
of  birds  not  given),  208 ;  Bird  (name 
unknown)  148;  Blackbird,  211,  217, 
222;  Blackcap,  215;  Bluebird,  11; 
Bob  White,  90;  Bobolink,  83  ;  Bull, 
120,  206:  Bull-frogs,  206;  Bumble- 
bee, 226;  Cat,  225;  Cat-bird,  52; 
Chat,  Yellow  -  breasted,  80;  Che- 
wink,  45,  118,  156;  Chickadee,  27, 
123,  142;  Clothes-rack,  4;  Cock, 
212,  225;  Cock  (a  passage  in  ora- 
torio of  the  Seven  sleepers),  119; 
Cock  chaffer,  226;  Colt,  120,  205; 


INDEX. 


255 


Cow,  206,  224;  Cricket,  226;  Crow, 
205 ;  Cuckoo,  135, 194, 195, 213,217; 
Cuckoo,  Black-billed,  87;  Cuckoo, 
Yellow-billed,  89;  Death-watch,  226 ; 
Diver,  Great  northern,  97, 117 ;  Dog, 
206,  212;  Dog  (barking),  224;  Don- 
key, 224;  Duck,  Wild,  136 ;  Finch, 
Purple,  37;  Flicker,  30;  Fowls,  212; 
From  the  author's  diary,  205;  From 
the  phonograph,  172;  Gnat,  226; 
Grasshopper,  226;  Grosbeak,  Pur- 
ple, 37;  Grosbeak,  Rose-breasted, 
76;  Grouse,  Ruffed,  94;  Hen,  211; 
Hen  (after  laying),  217 ;  Hen  music, 
104;  Horse,  212,  225;  Horse  (colt), 
120,  205;  Horse  (mare),  119,  206; 
House-fly,  226;  Indigo-bird,  85; 
Instrument  for  taking  pitch  of  bird- 
songs,  191 ;  "  Larboard  watch  ahoy  " 
and  song  of  black-throated  green 
warbler,  117;  Lark,  213;  Lark, 
Field,  221;  Lark,  Meadow,  33,  118, 
124;  Leather-head  (No.  12),  210; 
Linnet,  37;  Loon,  97,  117;  Mare, 
119,  206;  Niagara,  Waters  of,  130; 
Nightingale,  211,  218,  220;  Nut- 
hatch, White-bellied,  29;  Oriole, 
169;  Oriole,  Baltimore,  71;  Oven- 
bird,  63;  Owl,  Great  horned,  99; 
Owl,  Mottled,  100;  Owl,  Screech, 
100;  Ox,  212 ;  Partridge,  94;  Pewee, 
17;  Pheasant,  94;  Quail,  90;  Red- 
start, 51 ;  Robin,  14 ;  Robin,  Ground, 
45, 118;  "Rock  of  ages"  (melody) 
and  song  of  chewink,  118;  Rooster, 
107,  119,  205;  Soldier  (No.  12), 
210;  Solitaire,  214;  Sparrow,  Chip- 
ping, 40;  Sparrow,  Field,  36;  Spar- 
row, Fox-colored,  44;  Sparrow, 
Gambel's  white-crowned,  153;  Spar- 
row, Golden-crowned,  153;  Spar- 
row, Song,  23,  by  W.  Flagg  and 
the  author,  125;  Sparrow,  White- 
throated,  42,  150,  151,  152;  Spin- 
ning girls'  song  compared  with 
robin's  song,  20;  Swan,  216;  Tana- 
ger,  Scarlet,  74,  185;  Thrasher, 
Brown,  54;  Throstle,  211,  220; 
Thrush,  220;  Thrush  (Wood?), 


165;  Thrush,  Big-tree,  162;  Thrush, 
Brown,  54;  Thrush,  Hermit,  60, 
124;  Thrush,  Song,  56,  222;  Thrush, 
Tawny,  58;  Thrush,  Wilson's,  58, 
164;  Thrush,  Wood,  56,  124,  161, 
162;  Titmouse,  117;  Towhee. bunt- 
ing, 45,  118;  Various  notations  of 
music  of  nature,  203;  Veery,  58; 
Vireo,  Red-eyed,  78;  Waltz  and 
bird-song  compared,  135;  Warbler, 
Black-throated  green,  48, 117 ;  War- 
bler, Chestnut-sided,  49;  Warbler, 
Maryland  yellow-throat,  49;  War- 
bler, Willow,  215;  Warbler,  Yellow, 
47;  Warblers,  American  (sylvico- 
lidce),  49;  Water  dropping  from  a 
faucet,  3;  Whippoorwill,  68;  Wilson 
thrush,  58,  164;  Wind,  224;  Wind 
(wailing),  224;  Wood-pewee,  64, 
118,  143;  Woodpecker,  Golden- 
winged,  30;  Yellow-bird,  39. 

Notes  and  queries  (magazine),  237. 

Nuthatch,  White-bellied  (sitta  Caroli- 
nensis),  29,  147. 

Nuttall,  T.,  237 ;  Black-throated  green 
warbler,  158;  Bluebird,  145  ;  Drum- 
ming of  partridge,  197,  198;  Her- 
mit thrush,  165;  Nightingale,  165; 
Oven-bird,  167;  Red-eyed  vireo, 
190;  Redstart's  song,  158;  Rose- 
breasted  grosbeak,  188 ;  Song-spar- 
row, 147;  Wood-pewee,  144;  Wood 
thrush,  162,  163,  165;  Yellow- 
breasted  chat,  191. 

Nuttall  Ornithological  Club,  237. 

Nutting,  C.  C.,  137,  237. 


0' KELLY,   Col.     His  famous  parrot, 

137. 

Oppel,  Pro/.,  237. 
Oregon,  Soc.  for  Introd.    of  Useful 

Singing-birds  into,  182. 
Oreoica,    Ventriloquism    among  the, 

210. 
Organ  -  bird    (cyphorhinus    cantons), 

Bates,  H.  W.,  186. 
Organist  (pipra  musica,  GmeL).    Buf- 

fon,  G.  L.  L.,  comte  de.     Bishop 


256 


WOOD  NOTES   WILD. 


same  as,  186;  Gosse,  P.  H.  Buffon's 
organist  not  same  as  solitaire,  187 ; 
Hill,  R.  Buffon's  organist  same  as 
solitaire,  187. 

Organs  of  song,  140. 

Oriole,  168;  Allen,  J.  A.,  168;  Differ- 
ence between  song  of  old  and  young, 
26 ;  Ingersoll,  E.  Song  of  female, 
169;  Miller,  0.  T.,  169;  Hunger, 
C.  A.,  169;  Notation,  169;  Song  of 
oriole  at  burial  of  author,  170. 

Oriole,  Baltimore  (icterus  Baltimore), 
71;  Allen,  J.  A.,  168. 

Oriole,  Golden,  160. 

Ornithologist  and  oologist  (maga- 
zine), 237. 

Ortyx  Virginianus.     See  Quail. 

Ou-thee-quan-nor-ow.  See  Woodpeck- 
er (colaptes  auratus). 

Oven-bird  (seiurus  aurocapillus),  62; 
Allen,  G.,  167 ;  Audubon,  J.  J.,  166. 
Baird,  Brewer,  and  Ridgway,  167 ; 
Bicknell,  E.  P.,  166;  Coues,  Dr.  E., 
62;  Nelson,  H.  L.,  165;  Notation, 
63;  Nuttall,  T.,  167;  Richardson, 
(_),  167 ;  Wilson,  Dr.  A.,  62,  166. 

Overland  monthly  (magazine),  231. 

Owen,  Sir  R.,  237. 

Owl,  Great  horned  (bubo  Virginianus), 
98,  200 ;  Notation,  99 ;  White,  Rev. 
G.,  99. 

Owl,  Mottled  (scops  asio).  Lowell, 
J.  R.,  Screech-owl,  201;  Notations, 
100;  Wilson,  Dr.  A.,  102. 

Ox.    Gardiner,  W.,  Notation,  21S. 


PALMER,  T.  S.,  242. 

Paolluci,  Prof.  L.,  237. 

Parrot,  137. 

Partridge.    See  Grouse    (bonasa  urn 

bellus). 

Parus  atricapttlus.    See  Chickadee. 
Passerella  iliaca.    See  Sparrow. 
Peacock,  Music  of,  129. 
Peadove,  153. 
Peal,  S.  E.,  126,  128,  237. 
Petchary,  153. 
Pewee.    Notation,  17. 


Pfluger,  C.  F.,  182,  242. 

Pheasant.     See  Grouse  (bonasa  um- 

bellus). 

Phonograph,  Notations  from  the,  172. 
Pigritia.    Kircher,  A.    Notation,  217. 
Pipilo    erythrophthalmus.     See  Che- 
wink. 

Pipra  musica,  Gmel.     See  Organist. 
Pitch  in  bird  music,  131;  Instrument 

for  taking  pitch  of  bird-songs,  191. 
Piut.     See  Woodpecker  (colaptes  au- 

ratus). 
Placzek,   Dr.    B.,    237;    Why  birds 

sing,  139. 

Plinius  Secundus,  C.,  vi,  182,  237. 
Pliny.     See  Plinius  Secundus,  C. 
Plumage  vs.  song,  185.    See  note,  210. 
Pole,  W.,  130,  237;  Bird-songs  not  to 

be  called  "either  music  or  melody," 

123. 

Pollard,  J.,  237. 
Pontecoulant,    A.,   marquis  de,   142, 

237. 

Poole,  Dr.  W.  F.,  238. 
Popular  science   monthly,   126,  230, 

236. 
Poultry.    See  Fowl  language.— Fowls . 

—  Hen.  —  Rooster. 
Putnam's  monthly  (magazine),  137. 
Pyranga  rubra.    See  Tanager. 

QUAIL  (ortyx  Virginianus).  Nota- 
tion, 90. 

Quail  and  whippoorwill.  Flagg,  W., 
168. 


R.,  M.  H.,  238 ;  Natural  bird-songs 
never  capable  of  notation,  114. 

Rainey,  H.  J.,  238, 

Realejho.    See  Organ-bird. 

Red-eyed  vireo.    See  Vireo. 

Redpole,  180. 

Redstart  (setophaga  ruticilla).  Minot, 
H.  D.  Variations  in  song  of,  158 ; 
Notation,  51;  Nuttall,  T.,  158;  Song 
resembles  yellow  warbler's,  158. 

Reed-sparrow,  180. 


INDEX. 


257 


Rhoads,  S.  N.,  135,  238. 

Rhythm.  Bull-frogs,  207;  In  bird- 
sons,  131,  154,  208;  Sully,  J.,  131. 

Richardson,  (— ).    Oven-bird,  167. 

Ridgway,  R.,  238,  242;  Drumming  of 
partridge,  199 ;  Scarlet  tanager,  185. 

Ring-ousel,  160. 

Robin  (turdus  migratoritu),  139.  (See 
also  Cat-bird,  52);  Burlesque  per- 
formance of,  16;  Imitation,  174; 
Miller,  O.  T.,  169;  Nelson,  E.  W., 
145;  Song  of  tanager  and,  185 ;  No- 
tations, 14;  Samuels,  E.  A.  Song 
of  tanager  and,  185;  Signal  for 
flight,  20;  Song,  13;  Song  of  a 
caged,  174;  Spinning  girls'  song 
compared  with  robin's  song,  20; 
Variety  of  melodies,  18. 

Robin,  English,  160,  174,  175,  180. 

Robin,  Ground.  See  Chewink  (pipilo 
erythrophthalrmis). 

Robins  in  Australia,  210. 

"  Rock  of  ages  "  and  song  of  chewink, 
45,  118. 

Romanes,  G.  J.,  142,  238. 

Rooster.  (See  also  Fowl  language.  — 
Hen  music.)  Notations  119,  205, 
Gardiner,  W.,  212,  Weber,  Dr.  F., 
225. 

Rose-breasted  grosbeak.  See  Gros- 
beak (goniaphea  Ludoviciana). 

Rossiynol.    Notations,  220. 

Royal  Society  of  London.  Philos. 
trans.,  129,  238. 

Rudolph,  Alex.  J.,  241. 

Ruffed  grouse.  See  Gronse  (bonasa 
umbellus). 

Russ,  Dr.  K.,  of  Berlin,  viii,  242. 


SAINT  FRANCIS  D'Assisi,  Legend  of, 
170. 

Saint  Theresa,  Prayer  to.  Green 
warbler.  — White-throated  sparrow, 
150. 

Samuels,  E.  A.,  240,  242;  Brown 
thrush,  159;  Black-throated  green 
warbler,  157;  Drumming  of  par- 
tridge, 197;  Hermit  thrush,  164; 


Night-hawk,  167;  Red-eyed  vlreo, 
190;  Rose-breasted  grosbeak,  188; 
Ruffed  grouse,  197;  Song  of  robin 
and  tanager,  185;  Wood  thrush, 
164. 

Sand,  Sonorous,  129. 

Saunders,  W.  E.,  238. 

Savart,  (— ),  238. 

Saxby,  H.  L.,  238. 

Scale,  minor,  Origin  of,  135. 

Scarlet  tanager.  See  Tanager  (py- 
ranga  rubra). 

Schele  de  Vere,  M.  R.  B.f  128, 142, 
238. 

Scops  asio.    See  Owl. 

Screech-owl.    See  Owl  (scops  asio). 

Scudder,  S.  H.,  128,  238. 

Seebohm,  H.,  238. 

Seiurus  aurocapillus.    See  Oven-bird. 

Setophaga  ruticilla.    See  Redstart. 

Seven  sleepers  (oratorio),  Cock  crows 
passage  in,  119. 

Sexual  selection.  Sully,  J.  Improves 
voice  of  birds,  138. 

Shakespeare,  141. 

Sharpe,  R.  B.,  238. 

Sialia  sialis.    See  Bluebird. 

Sidebotham,  J.,  238. 

Signs  from  birds,  171. 

Singing  and  dancing,  136. 

Siskin,  180. 

Sitta  Carolinensis.    See  Nuthatch. 

Skelding,  S.  B.,  238. 

Skylark,  180;  Minot,  H.  D.,  193. 

Slater,  H.  H.,  238. 

Sloth.    Kircher,  A.    Notation,  217. 

Smee,  A.,  238;  Blackbird,  223,  nota- 
tions, 222;  Difficulty  of  recording 
notes  of  song-birds,  223;  Song 
thrush,  223,  notations,  222. 

Smee,  F.,  223. 

Smithsonian  Institution,  238. 

Snakes,  Effect  of  music  on,  142. 

Soldier.    Notation  (No.  12),  210. 

Solitaire  (musicapa  armillata,  Viellot), 
154,  187;  Gosse,  P.  H.  Buffon's 
organist  not  same  as,  187;  Hill,  R., 
187,  Buffon's  organist  same  as,  187; 
Johnston,  A.  G.  Notations,  214. 


17 


258 


WOOD  NOTES    WILD. 


Song,  Organs  of,  140. 

Song-birds.  (See  also  Bird-song. — 
Bird -songs. —  Birds. —  Borrowing 
from  birds. —  Music. —  Night-songs. 
—  Notations. —  Songs.)  Australian 
singers,  209;  Barrington,  D.  On 
notation  of  music  of,  121 ;  Table  of 
comparative  merit  of  British,  180 ; 
New  South  Wales,  209;  Smee,  A. 
Difficulty  of  recording  notes  of,  223 ; 
Soc.  for  Introd.  of  Useful  Singing- 
birds  into  Oregon,  182;  Song  of 
birds  is  innate,  175 ;  Thompson,  M. 
Duty  of  protecting,  136. 

Song  guild,  Emblem  of  the,  129. 

Song-sparrow.  See  Sparrow  (melo- 
spiza  melodia). 

Song-thrush.  See  Thrush  (turdus 
mustelinus). 

Songs  (See  also  Bird-song.  —  Bird- 
songs.  —  Inanimate  music.  —  Melo- 
dies.—  Music  in  nature.  —  Night- 
songs.  —  Notations.  —  Song-birds), 

Songs,  Variations  in.    See  Bird-song. 

Sparrow,  Chipping  (spizella  socialis). 
Coues,  Dr.  E.,  40;  Notation,  40. 

Sparrow,  Field  (spizella  ptisilla),  26, 
35;  Coues,  Dr.  E.,  35;  Extemporiz- 
ing, 148;  Minot,  H.  D.,  35;  Nota- 
tion, 36;  Torrey,  B.,  149;  Wilson, 
Dr.  A.,  35. 

Sparrow,  Fox -colored  (passerella 
iliaca),  155;  Baird,  Brewer,  and 
Ridgway,  155;  Burroughs,  J.,  155; 
Notation,  44;  Torrey,  B.,  155. 

Sparrow,  Gambel's  white  -  crowned. 
Notation,  153. 

Sparrow,  Golden-crowned.  Notation, 
153. 

Sparrow,  Hedge,  180. 

Sparrow,  Reed,  180. 

Sparrow,  Song  (melospiza  melodia). 
Bicknell,  E.  P.,  147;  Miller,  O.  T., 
169;  Minot,  H.  D.,  146;  Nelson, 
H.  L.,  146;  Notations,  23,  By  W. 
Flagg  and  the  author,  125 ;  Nuttall, 
T.,  147;  Stearns,  A.  W.,  147;  Tor- 
rey, B.,  146 ;  Trill  of,  23. 

Sparrow,  White-throated  (zonotrichia 


albicollis).  Baird,  Brewer,  and  Ridg- 
way, 149 ;  Keeler,  C.  A.,  153 ;  Leach, 
M.  L.,  151;  Minot,  H.  D.,  150; 
Notations,  42, 150, 151, 152 ;  Rhythm, 
154;  Song,  8;  Song  interpreted  as 
prayer  to  Saint  Theresa,  150 ;  Song 
shortens  as  the  season  advances, 
43 ;  Variation  in  song  of,  150. 

Spectator,  The  (magazine),  176. 

Speech,  Music  in,  129. 

Spencer,  H.,  140,  238. 

Spinning  girls'  song  compared  with 
robin's  song,  20. 

Spizella  pusilla.     See  Sparrow. 

Spizella  socialis.     See  Sparrow. 

Starling,  133. 

Stearns,  R.  C.,  142,  238. 

Stearns,  W.  A.,  vi,  238;  Cat-bird,  159; 
Red-eyed  vireo,  190;  Song-sparrow, 
147 ;  Wood-pewee,  144. 

Stein,  F.,  239. 

Sterne,  C.,  128,  239. 

Stewart,  J.  V.  Willow-warbler  (nota- 
tion quoted  by  J.  E.  Harting),  215. 

Stones,  Musical*  129. 

Storer,  D.  H.,  and  Peabody,  W.  B.  0., 
239. 

Stuhr,  (  — )  (bird-dealer),  Portland, 
184. 

Sturnella  magna.     See  Lark. 

Sturt,  Capt.  C.,  151,  239. 

Sully,  J.,  239,  242;  Intervals  in  bird- 
song,  132;  Rhythm  in  bird -song, 
131 ;  Sexual  selection  improves  bird- 
song,  138;  Structure  of  melody,  132; 
Tonality  in  bird-song,  132. 

Swan.  Arnaud,  Abbe.  Voice  of,  216  ; 
Bertini,  A.  Notation,  216 ;  Hawker, 
Col.,  215. 

Swiss  cross,  The  (magazine),  239. 

Sylvicolidce.    See  American  warblers. 


TABLE  of  comparative  merit  of  British 

singing-birds.  180. 
Tanager.    Difference  between  song  of 

old  and  young,  26;  Song  of  robin 

and,  Nelson,  H.  L.,  185,  Samuels, 

E.  A.,  185. 


INDEX. 


259 


Tanager,  Scarlet  (pyranga  rubra). 
Baird,  Brewer,  and  Ridgway,  185 ; 
Coleman,  A.  P.,  185;  Notations,  74, 
185;  Ridgway,  R.,  185;  Wilson,  Dr. 
A.,  185. 

Tawny  thrush.  See  Thrush  (turdus 
fuscescens). 

Taylor,  Charlotte,  141,  239. 

Taylor,  H.  R.,  239. 

Taylor,  J.  E.,  239  ;  Imitation  in  sing- 
ing birds :  sedge  warbler,  American 
mocking-bird,  176. 

Taylor,  R.,  239. 

Tennent,  Sir  J.  E.,  126,  239. 

Thaxter,  C.    Loon,  200. 

Thayer,  E.  M.,  129,  239. 

Theuriet,  A.,  239. 

Thomae,  F.,  of  Tubingen,  viii,  242. 

Thompson,  M.,  140,  239,  242;  Duty  of 
protecting  song-birds,  136 ;  Genesis 
of  bird-song,  136;  Rhythmic  beat  in 
bird-songs,  154. 

Thomson,  J.  S.,  239. 

Thoreau,  H.  D.,  239. 

Thrasher,  Brown.  See  Thrush  (harpo- 
rhynchus  rufus). 

Throstle.     See  Thrush. 

Thrush,  160,  176,  180 ;  Gardiner,  W. 
Notation  of  throstle's  song,  211; 
Jesse,  E.,  173  ;  Lescuyer,  F.  Nota- 
tions of  song  of  grive  chanteuse 
(throstle),  220. 

Thrush,  Big-tree.  Belding,  L.,  162; 
Notation,  162;  Songs  of  wood  thrush 
and,  162. 

Thrush,  Blue,  181;  Song  often  mis- 
taken for  nightingale's,  181. 

Thrush,  Brown  (harporhynchus  rufus). 
(See  also  Cat-bird,  52);  Hunger,  C. 
A.,  159;  Notations,  54;  Samuels,  E. 
A.  Sometimes  called  brown  mocker, 
159;  Torrey,  B.,  159. 

Thrush,  Hermit  (turdus  pallasi),  59; 
Baird,  Brewer,  and  Ridgway,  165; 
Burroughs,  J.,  164;  Coues,  Dr.  K, 
59 ;  Flagg,  W.,  59 ;  Giraud,  J.  P., 
Jr.,  165;  Greatest  singer  of  New 
England,  59;  Notations,  60,  124; 
Nuttall,  T.,  165;  Samuels,  E.  A., 


164;  Song  like  opening  of  a  grand 
overture,  60 ;  Song  of  hermit  thrush, 
wood  thrush,  and  veery,  164;  Wil- 
son, Dr.  A.,  59. 

Thrush,  Hoppiug-dick,  153. 

Thrush,  Louisiana.  The  oven-bird : 
its  equal  as  a  singer,  62. 

Thrush,  Song  (turdus  musicus),  192; 
Browning,  R.,  223 ;  Notations  (tur- 
dus mustelinus),  56 ;  Smee,  A.,  Nota- 
tions (turdus  musicus),  222;  Song 
thrush  (turdus  musicus),  223. 

Thrush,  Tawny  (turdus  fuscescens). 
Baird,  Brewer,  and  Ridgway,  163; 
Nelson,  H.  L.  Veery,  163,  164; 
Notation  (veery),  58. 

Thrush,  Wilson's.  See  Thrush  (tur- 
dus fuscescens). 

Thrush,  Wood  (turdus  mustelinus), 
160;  Baird,  Brewer,  and  Ridgway, 
162,  165  ;  Burroughs,  J.,  164 ; 
Minot,  H.  D.  Compares  it  with 
nightingale,  181;  Nelson,  H.  L., 

161,  164;    Notations,  56,  124,  161, 
162  (wood  thrush,  165);  Nuttall,  T., 

162,  163,  165;    Songs  of  big-tree 
thrush  and,  162. 

Time  in  bird  music,  131. 

Titlark,  180. 

Titmouse,  Black-capped.  See  Chick- 
adee (parus  atricapillus),  27,  117. 

Tonality  or  key  in  bird  music,  131. 

Torrey,  B.,  239,  242;  Bird  music,  138; 
Brown  thrush,  159 ;  Chewink  extem- 
porizes, 155;  Drumming  of  the 
partridge,  199;  Field-sparrow,  149; 
Fox-colored  sparrow,  155;  Song- 
sparrow,  146. 

Towhee.    Allen,  J.  A.,  168. 

Towhee  bunting.  See  Chewink  (pipilo 
erythrophthalmus). 

Treatise  on  British  song-birds,  231, 239. 

Tremolo  in  song  of  meadow-lark,  7. 

Trill,  Song-sparrow's,  23. 

Trowbridge,  J.  T.,  Wood-pewee,  65. 

Tucker,  Old  Dan,  Borrowed  from  the 
hen,  108. 

Tune,  Birds  sing  out  of,  152. 

Turdtu  fuscescens.    See  Thrush. 


260 


WOOD  NOTES   WILD. 


Turdus  merula.    See  Blackbird. 
Turdus  migratorius.     See  Robin. 
Turdus  musicus.     See  Thrush. 
Turdus  mustelinus.    See  Thrush. 
Turdus pallasi.    See  Thrush. 


U.  S.  DEPT.  of  Agriculture,  239. 
U.  S.  National  Museum,  240. 
Urania  sloaneus  (Butterfly),  160. 


VARIATIONS  in  bird-song,  168,  173. 
(See  also  Bird-song.)  Allen,  J.  A., 
168;  fielding,  L.,  163;  Jesse,  E., 
173;  Miller,  0.  T.,  169;  Minot,  H. 
D.  Redstart,  158 ;  Song  of  young 
and  old  birds,  25,  26 ;  Song  of  same 
birds,  8. 

Veery.  See  Thrush  (turdus  fusces- 
cens). 

Ventriloquism.  Atrichias,  210;  Ex- 
plained, 151;  Lyre-bird,  210;  Ore- 
oica,  210. 

Ventriloquist  &ove(geopelia  tranquilla, 
Gould),  151. 

Vesper-mice,  Music  of,  126. 

Viardot,  L.,  142,  240. 

Vickary,  N    Great  northern  diver,  97. 

Vireo  olivaceus.    See  Vireo. 

Vireo,  Red-eyed  (vireo  olivaceus), 
189.  (See  also  Cat-bird,  52.)  Minot, 
H.  D.,  190;  Notation,  78;  Nuttall, 
T.,  190;  Samuels,  E.  A.,  190; 
Stearns,  W.  A.,  190. 

Voice.  Sully  J.  Sexual  selection 
improves,  138. 


W.,  J.  M.,  240. 

Wake-up.  See  Wood-pecker  (colaptes 
auratus). 

Walker,  R.  C.,  242. 

Wallace,  A.  R.,  137,  140,  240. 

Walton,  I.,  240  ;  Nightingale,  182. 

Warbler,  Black-throated  green  (den- 
droica  virens),  8;  Minot,  H.  D., 
157;  Notations,  48,  117;  Nuttall, 
T.,  158;  Samuels,  E.  A.,  157;  Simi- 


larity between  its  song  and  "Lar- 
board watch,"  48  ;  Song  interpreted 
as  prayer  to  Saint  Theresa,  150. 

Warbler,  Chestnut-sided  (dendroica 
Pennsylvanica).  Burroughs,  J.,  157; 
Minot,  H.  D.,  157;  Notation,  49. 

Warbler,  Maryland  yellow-throat. 
Notation,  49. 

Warbler,  Sedge.    Taylor,  J.  E.,  176. 

Warbler,  Willow.  Harting,  J.  E. 
Notation,  215. 

Warbler,  Yellow  (dendroica  cestiva). 
Notation,  47;  Nelson,  H.  L.;  156; 
Song  resembles  redstart's;  158;  Vo- 
cal power  of,  156. 

Warblers,  American  (sylvicotidce).  No- 
tations, 49. 

Warren,  Uncle  (pseud.),  240. 

Water  dropping  from  a  faucet.  Nota- 
tion, 3. 

Water-ousel,  160. 

Waterton,  C.,  240;  Bell-bird,  196. 

Watt,  R.,  240. 

Weber,  Dr.  F.,  129,130, 133,  240, 242; 
Notations:  — Cat,  225,  Cock,  225, 
Cow,  224,  Dog  (barking),  224,  Don- 
key, 224,  Horse,  225,  Wind,  224, 
Wind  (wailing),  224. 

West  shore  (newspaper),  Portland, 
Or.,  184,237. 

Wheelwright,  H.  W.,  127,  240. 

Whippoorwill  (Antrostomus  vociferus), 
167;  Flagg,  W.  Quail  and,  168; 
Night-hawk  and,  67;  Notations,  68; 
Wilson,  Dr.  A.,  69. 

Whistling  of  birds,  133. 

White,  Rev.  G.,  126,  240;  Great 
horned  owl,  99. 

White-banded  mocking-bird.  See 
Mocking-bird. 

White-bellied  Nuthatch.  See  Nut- 
hatch (sitta  Carolinensis). 

White-throat,  160. 

White-throated  sparrow.  See  Sparrow 
(zonotrichia  albicollis). 

Why  birds  sing,  139. 

Wienland,  D.  F.,  240. 

Wilkinson,  A.  G.  White-throated 
sparrow,  152. 


INDEX. 


261 


Willow-wren,  160. 

Willy,  T.  P.,  240. 

Wilson,  Dr.  A.,  vi,  vii,  128,  143,  240; 
Bobolink,  193;  Chewink,  45;  Drum- 
ing  of  the  ruffed  grouse  (partridge), 
94,  197,  198;  Field-sparrow,  35; 
Golden-winged  woodpecker,  31  ; 
Great  northern  diver,  95;  Hermit 
thrush,  59;  Meadow  lark,  33;  Most 
charming  of  writers  on  birds,  114; 
Mottled  owl,  102;  Night-hawk,  66; 
Oven-bird,  62, 166 ;  Scarlet  tanager, 
185;  Tawny  thrush,  58;  Whippoor- 
will,  69. 

Wilson's  thrush.    Notations,  58,  164. 

Wind.  Weber,  Dr.  F.  Notations, 
224. 

Wood,  Rev.  J.  G.,  240;  Energy  ex- 
pended in  bird-song,  190;  Lark,  190. 

Woodpecker,  Golden-winged  (colaptes 
auratus).  Notations,  30;  Song  of 
cuckoo  and,  30;  Wilson,  Dr.  A., 
31. 

Wood-pewee  (contopus  virens),  8 ;  Bur- 
roughs, J.,  143  ;  Coues,  Dr.  E., 
143;  Notations,  64,  118,  143;  Nut- 
tall,  T.,  144;  Stearns,  W.  A.,  144; 
Wilson,  Dr.  A.,  143. 

Wood  thrush.  See  Thrush  (turdus 
mustelinus). 


Woodwall.  See  Golden-winged  wood- 
pecker. 

World  of  wonders,  240. 
Wren,  160,  180. 


YARRKLL,  W.,  126,  140, 176,  240. 
Yarrup.      See  Woodpecker  (colaptes 

auratus). 
Yellow-billed  cuckoo.     Bee   Cuckoo 

( Coccygus  Americanus). 
Yellow-bird  (chrysomitris  tristis),  180. 

(See  also  Goldfinch.)    Love-song  of 

goldfinch,  157;  Notations,  39;  Vocal 

power  of  goldfinch,  156. 
Yellow-breasted  chat.    See  Chat  (icte- 

ria  viridis). 
Yellow  hammer.      See   Woodpecker 

(colaptes  auratus). 
Yellow  warbler.    See  Warbler  (den- 

droica  cestiva). 
Youmans,  W.  J.,  242. 
Young,  R.,  240. 
Yucker.      See  Woodpecker  (colaptes 

auratus). 


ZOE  (magazine),  240. 

Zonotrichia  albicollis.     See  Sparrow. 

Zoologist,  The  (magazine),  240. 


THIS  BOOK  IS  DUE  ON  THE  LAST  DATE 
STAMPED  BELOW 


AN  INITIAL  FINE  OF  25  CENTS 

WILL  BE  ASSESSED  FOR  FAILURE  TO  RETURN 
THIS  BOOK  ON  THE  DATE  DUE.  THE  PENALTY 
WILL  INCREASE  TO  SO  CENTS  ON  THE  FOURTH 
DAY  AND  TO  $1.OO  ON  THE  SEVENTH  DAY 
OVERDUE. 


BIOLOGY 
Ifl/iD         '*     in  1  - 

LIBRARY 

ItH  rl;|./ 

*W     18  1947 

LD  21-10m-7,'39(402.s) 

II? 03 


